Second Time Around
by wwechaingangbabe
Summary: "If we ever meet again" was the last thing she said to him, and after five years, John still clung onto that hope. And she, well, she was back and with secrets. Sequel to If We Ever Meet Again.
1. Another Shot

"He's not my son?"

John stared at his wife in disbelief when she said nothing. Her silence spoke volume and quickly triggered his fuse. "Damn it, Liz, Logan's not my son!"

They were barely five feet apart but his voice percolated as if they were a mile apart. Oh, he was angry. Beyond angry. This wasn't the first time she'd deceived him. Or made him wished they never married.

"How could you lie to me about something like this?"

She turned her head away, flinching at his every word. She knew this day would come but she hadn't expected it to come this soon. The kid was barely four years old and she hoped John wouldn't have found out until he was at least eighteen. Or never. She didn't know what to say. Nothing could've prepared her for this. Not even all the time in the world.

John rubbed the back of his neck before he began pacing the living room. Something inside him had snapped, causing a burst of anger, resentment, and fury to succumb him. All that was suddenly replaced with feelings of despair when he realized the son he'd been raising for last few years was in fact not his.

A light touch came from behind him and he instantly spun around.

"Don't-" John said, his voice firm, causing Liz to stop dead on her tracks. "-touch me."

"John, I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Get caught?" John tried to laugh but the comic relief he was after was farfetched.

"But you were cheating on me too!" she cried out in desperation.

John gritted his teeth and it took every ounce of his strength to keep his hands off his wife. His fingers curled tightly and he tried his best to relax them. But it was impossible. The tension was too heavy, frustration had kinks all over his body.

"You were cheating on me too," she repeated, tears trickling down her face.

He shook his head, unsure if they were even real. "At least I had the decency to tell you the truth."

"John, I-"

"I don't even wanna hear any more," John backed up. "I should've never revoked our divorce."

"But-"

"He may not be my son but I sure as hell still love that kid to death. You better get a lawyer if you wanna ever wanna see him again. He doesn't need a lying mom to raise him, who knows what else you've been hiding."

Liz closed her eyes and when she opened them again, John was already halfway to the door. She knew there was no turning back.

John slammed the front door and quickly got into his car. He didn't know where he was going but he needed to get the hell away from there. Who knew his heart could beat so fast and break at the same time. He was sick to his stomach. The child he was raising wasn't his. Logan's real dad was someone else, and his mom, well, his mom was Liz. John shook his head at the thought of the real birth parents. He'd be damned if he lost Logan to either of them.

But before he could take those matters into his hands, he needed to blow off some steam. He mounted his driving speed to counteract his tormented mind, but unfortunately, it did nothing to weaken the burden. He needed more than a cruise around the neighborhood to be okay.

He needed alcohol. And a lot of it.

He swerved into the parking lot of some bar and bolted out of his car. He had one mission tonight and it was to forget everything. He couldn't possibly take himself to bed with a running mind. He'd deal with that tomorrow. Right now, he needed to immerse himself into complete unawareness.

John got inside and didn't bother wasting time. After fifteen minutes, he'd already downed ten shots of bourbon and was after even more. He was drunk, and he was sure of that when his vision started doubling. He looked across the bar and saw Roxanne.

He shook his head and laughed at himself. "Yup Cena. Your ass is mothafuckin drunk! Whooooo!"

He raised his shot glass before bringing it to his lips. The liquid smoothly went down his throat like water.

"Roxannnnnnnnne, damn you. Why'd you have to leave me!" He banged a closed fist against his booth and lurched forward for another shot. He looked around and saw no traces of her. Of course, it was his imagination that fooled him. She wasn't across the bar. She wasn't anywhere near him.

Well, except inside his heart. He'd been wishing she was around for almost five years now. That wishful thinking started the day she left his life and it never stopped since. Even with the alcohol to abate his mind, he was sure he'd never stop. He ached for her too much and too strong. But he was helpless.

She was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

Logan wasn't his son and there was nothing he could do about it.

John took another glass in hand but before he could take its contents into his system, the glass crumbled. He'd gripped it too tight. The liquid seeped between his fingers and as he watched, tears warmed up his eyes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Emergency services. How may I help you?"<em>

Roxanne shot up in bed and sprang into a sitting position. She was having snippets of the nightmare again. She brought a hand over her forehead and swallowed a dry lump. These reoccurring nightmares were taking a toll on her. She wasn't even sure if it could be classified a nightmare. She had lived it. It had been her reality. This was more than just a nightmare.

Luckily, tonight's replay was of the descend. She didn't dream of the climax, or the scary parts that came before it. Luckily. This time, it was of when she was finally safe, when she finally called for the police.

Roxanne looked over at her clock and scoffed at the time. There were only three hours until she had to go to a job interview. There was no time to go back to sleep.

"Ugh!" she groaned, bringing the tangled bed sheets up to her chest. She bit her lip and contemplated of what to do. There was too much time on her hands, yet there were too little. Too little to be able to relax, anyway.

"Bubble bath," she mumbled. "I'll opt for that."

Roxanne was halfway out of the bed when her phone went off. She smiled at the name that popped up and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, I told you we were in town tonight right?"

Roxanne smiled. It was her friend Matt. "Why, yes you did."

"Well, I could take you a nice dinner or to the opening of that new club in downtown. Which would you prefer?"

A nice dinner would've been her answer last month. But that was before shit went downhill. "The new club sounds good."

Matt chuckled. "Alright, I'll pick you up at eight."

"See you then."

Roxanne hung up the phone and got ready for another day. Too bad it was a long way until night time.

* * *

><p>John slammed the car door, enclosing himself into the small space of his Hyundai. He had just finished another house show and rather than going back to the hotel, like everyone else, he was contemplating which bar to go to.<p>

He had a mission to black out again. It was his only way to achieve sleep.

"Fuck it." He started his car and got on the main road. "Any bar will do."

Any place that catered him alcohol will do.

This one definitely did. It looked run down compared to the one across the street. It seemed as though it just opened and so he opted for the older one. There'd be less people to surround him and less time to wait for his drinks.

"Whoooo! Cheers!" he raised his tenth shot to himself. He had a sick smile on his face. He was more drunk than last night. Hell, he might have still been drunk from last night.

He closed his eyes, feeling the liquid slide down his throat. He leaned back against his seat, stretched his leg out and looked over when a swarm of people came in. Though, his vision was doubling again, maybe it was just a couple.

He returned his eye on the drinks in front of him and took another one. Then another one. He heard murmurs from the newly occupied booth behind him but he couldn't make out a word. He didn't really care too.

"It was too loud in there."

"It's a damn bar, what'd you expect?"

"Yeah, well, is here fine? It's quieter. You can tell me all about your call to the police."

Roxanne sighed. "Matt, I didn't go out with you tonight for pep talk."

"I don't think you having to call the police can be considered pep talk. Far from it."

"Yeah and I don't think talking about it at some bar is the right place either."

"Should we go somewhere else?"

"No, silly." She smiled. "I wanna drink."

"DRINK ME PLEAAAAAASE!"

Matt and Roxanne glanced at the drunk voice that echoed the place. It was from somewhere behind them but as they looked on, they couldn't see from who.

Matt looked at her reluctantly and asked, "Are you sure you wanna stay here?"

She laughed. "Why, you scared of a drunk stranger?"

"No, I'm scared of a drunk Roxanne."

She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled contently.

"HOLY HOGWASH! MORE DRINKS! MORE FUCKING DRINKS!"

The two of them tried to ignore this second outburst but that became impossible when a loud thud came after. They looked behind them and saw a man sprawled on the floor; a glass in hand and a smile on his face.

Roxanne froze the second she realized who that person was.

"Wow, that man is fucking gone," Matt turned to glace at her. "Ha. You okay Roxanne? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Her heart was caught in her throat. She couldn't talk.

"Are you sure you wanna stay here?"

Roxanne watched John try to get into a standing position. He failed miserably, bringing his heavy mass back to the floor. He was laughing hysterically now.

"Roxanne," Matt nudged her and in return, she slapped his arm. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"

"I already answered that question," she growled, turning her sight on him.

Matt put up both hands for defense. "Alright, alright."

She sighed and looked straight ahead. She sat immobile, breathing in a tight, controlled manner. Her heart was hammering away at her ribs and as much as she tried to ignore what she saw, or rather, who she saw, she couldn't. John had become a part of her a long time ago and having this tangible view of him only made it realer. He was right there. He was in the same room as her again.

After all those years.

He had the same hair cut. The same laugh, drunk or not. His face was ravaged with more lines but he was still as handsome as before.

Roxanne closed her eyes and tried to gain composure. Her hands were shaking. Her senses were blocked and for a long while she couldn't see, hear, or feel a thing. Her mind was going haywire from the heavy pounding of her chest and the plunging thoughts of John.

This was nothing, she quickly reminded herself. She can turn away and keep him exactly where he's been all this time. In the past. It's just to bad he's been stuck in her heart, too.

"Roxanne!" Matt flagged a hand in front of her face. "You okay?"

"Uh…" she turned to look at him, thoughts interrupted, mouth slightly parted.

"Shot! Shot! Shot!" John chanted from behind them. He was oblivious to the people around him. That, or he just didn't care. He probably didn't. He was drunk, after all.

Determined not to look, Roxanne clenched her jaw and nodded.

Matt brought his face closer towards her. "Shot?"

She nodded again.

Matt excused himself, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

If we ever meet again.

That was the last thing she ever said to John.

She shook her head. Technically, they hadn't met again. She'd simply caught sight of him from afar. There were no meetings of any sort. Just sightings. Two completely different things.

When she finally convinced herself that, Matt returned with two drinks.

"That's all you got?" she asked him.

"For now," he shrugged.

The two clanged their glasses but before Roxanne had the chance to drink, a quarrel erupted. She glanced at the scene and noticed John trying to vehemently get over the bar.

"Give me another drink!" he yelled.

Roxanne bolted from her seat, causing it to tumble down, the instant John gripped the bartender's shirt.

"John!" She pulled him back.

He was ready to lurch his arm over the bar one more time but the sight of Roxanne had him freeze. He looked at her as if she were a ghost. He remained quiet even when security came in between them.

"Sir, I have to ask you to leave the building."

John kept his eye on Roxanne.

Security took hold of his arm and Roxanne immediately stopped them. "I got him."

"You sure?"

She nodded before glancing at Matt. He looked at her stoically then walked over.

"Can we take him?" she asked.

Matt rubbed his forehead. "He's not a dog, Roxanne."

Roxanne pushed John onto a nearby stool, allowing his head to rest against her shoulder. He hadn't said a word since they locked eyes and his were closed now. "I think I know what a dog looks like, Matt. He's my friend."

"Oh."

"Can you help me get him to the car?"

"Alright."

They sandwiched John in between them, both taking either of his arm over their shoulders. It took a good ten minutes for them to get him settled in the back seat.

"What now? Where do we take him?" Matt asked.

Roxanne drew her hands into John's pocket and easily pulled out a hotel key card. "At the Hilton."

They got there, asked the receptionist for John's room, and quickly got him to bed.

He'd been dead weight since he fell asleep at the bar. If he hadn't drank so much, Roxanne could've easily said he fainted from seeing her again.

"Think he's gonna be okay?" she asked Matt.

He nodded, with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I mean, the man drank a lot. He'll have a fat hangover the next morning but he should be fine."

Roxanne nodded. She looked at John, seeing his chest fall and rise to a steady rhythm.

Why had he been drinking so much? Was this his first time or has it been a nightly occurrence? Was he okay? What were the stories behind the new wrinkles on his face?

Her unanswered questions were interrupted when Matt got close beside her. "You ready to go?"

She swallowed. She was never and would never be ready to leave John. But she had to then and she had to now. "Yeah. Just let me give him his key back."

Matt backed up and nodded.

Roxanne stepped beside his bed and slowly slid the key card into his pocket. As she pushed it down, her finger got wedged in between that and something else. She felt around for the other object and instinctively pulled it out.

What she saw left her heart in shambles.

It was his wedding ring.

* * *

><p><strong>Well? What'd you think? For those who don't know, this is a sequel to the story If We Ever Meet Again. Continue or not continue? Review and write me your answer. Thanks everyone :D<strong>


	2. Remy

Roxanne was the last thing on his mind before he closed his eyes. He was sure of it.

John sighed and propped himself up on his elbows. The events of last night was hard to recall; all he remembered was getting inside a bar and now, waking up in his hotel room. But Roxanne… he had these nagging thoughts of her. Although that was nothing new - since often times, he found himself immersed into dreams of her before, during, and after sleep - there was something different about this morning.

He raised his eyebrows and rubbed his forehead.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Nothing came to mind. He couldn't think of what was so different. _Or why it felt so different._ Today was just another day without her. And last night, well, last night he couldn't remember. He'd been too wasted. Then, remembrance of his reasons for being wasted took hold of him. He allowed his body to fall back against the mattress as the burdened feelings settled in again.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath. It was too far from night time, too far from another glass of alcohol.

Without another thought, he got out of bed and out of his room. There was a new day ahead of him, and although he wasn't thrilled to be awake - or even, to be alive right now - the comfort of his job kept him going. He wasn't going to be alone the whole day, thank God.

John got into the catering and was glad to be surrounded by familiar faces. Unfortunately, that excitement deflated when it seemed as though everyone was quick to look away.

John scratched his head as he looked around the place. The air was sterile, bodies were stiff, eyes were too constricted. Everyone was trying so hard to look busy and unapproachable that he saw right through it. He wasn't stupid. He wasn't buying it.

"Hey," he greeted one of the divas that passed. She only smiled then quickly scurried away. He received the same treatment from another one. And another one.

"Wow," he said to himself. "What is going on today?"

He threw his arms up to his sides and looked around. No eyes dared to catch his and it only mounted his frustration.

What _was_ going on today?

Had word gone around about Logan and Liz? Or was this about his drunken nights at the bar? If that was the case, he sure as hell didn't expect this reaction. If anything, he was expecting a little sympathy, sorrow… something! Not this share of ignorance that he was getting. Not this isolation. Definitely not this isolation.

John sighed. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was exaggerating. Overreacting. He hadn't been in the best shape the past few days so that was plausible. He eyed the only empty seat, next to Melina, and quickly took hold of it. He didn't care if someone was already sitting there. He needed to talk to someone. Anyone.

"Hey Melina."

"Oh hey, John." She smiled at him.

John was getting ready to say something else when a frantic voice came from behind them.

"Mel! The caterers for tomorrow cancelled-" Eve paused as soon as John turned to look at her.

He drew his eyebrows closer. "Why'd you stop talking?"

"Uhh…I uh…I…" she stammered.

John shook his head and smiled. "What's up with everyone? Is it 'avoid John day' or something?" He stood up from his seat. The dimples on his face disappeared. "Because if that's the case, I'll make the job easier."

Both divas exchanged worried glances. John was beginning to walk away when Eve spoke up. "John, wait, I um- I just didn't wanna whine in front of you."

John looked at her. "I wasn't worried about you whining, for one thing. And you just made me sound like a careless jerk."

Eve smiled. She patted both of her hands over his shoulders and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"So what about the caterers? What's going on tomorrow?"

Eve had an apprehensive look on her face but she answered him anyway. "My baby shower."

"Oh." That was the first he's heard of that.

"I was going to invite you," Eve began to say, guilt clearly present in her tone. "But I wasn't sure if you wanted to-"

"I'd love to go." John cut her off calmly.

Eve's eyes widened. "Really?"

John shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled. If he noticed the surprise in her voice, he didn't show it. "Yeah, I would."

The blooming diva in front of him nodded. "O-okay, I'll see you there then. It'll be at this restaurant called Pompei at one o'clock."

John processed the information quickly and nodded with a grin. He walked out of the catering in a better mood than when he had come in.

"Shit," Eve cursed as soon as he was out of earshot.

Melina laughed. "And we were all trying to avoid him just so no one would mention the baby shower. Oh the irony."

"Damn," Eve groaned. "How am I supposed to tell Roxanne he's going now?"

Melina shrugged. "You don't. Unless you'd rather her not come."

* * *

><p>John woke up, for the first time in three days, without a hangover. He decided against drinking last night with the baby shower in mind. He was excited to go, for reasons that weren't so obvious, even to himself. He just was and he decided it was better to leave it at. Simple.<p>

He found himself staring off into space and like always, his thoughts drifted to Roxanne. It was an inevitable part of his daily routine. Not a day passed, since he left her house that night, that he didn't think about her. Or miss her.

Desperate to shake his unproductive train of thought, John reached for his phone and called Liz. She picked up on the second dial.

"John?"

"Is Logan awake?"

"No, he's taking a nap right now."

"Alright tell-"

"John, wait, can you- can we talk? I think you should come home, I wanna talk things out."

"Well I don't. Just tell Logan I called and that I love him."

"We love you too. But John-"

_Click._

He tossed the phone on the bed before bringing his forehead onto the palm of his hands. He couldn't take this. Not only was he unable to see, hear, or touch Roxanne, but he couldn't talk to Logan either. At least not without having to involve Liz into the matter. That just made it worse.

John felt his throat constrict. Apart from being surrounded and having a reason for celebration today, John wasn't too thrilled about life.

That became evident to everyone he talked to at the baby shower.

"Aw John, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure your relationship with Logan won't be any different. You're great to him, real father or not."

He simply nodded at the comment. He'd gotten similar responses from several divas, and even a few guys. Explaining his situation and receiving the sympathy became redundant and he was over it by the time Eve began opening the presents.

John sighed. He'd been at the baby shower for a couple hours now and the excitement he had that morning had disappeared. Damn it, why was he even excited in the first place?

"Excuse me, I'm gonna get some fresh air real quick," he said to whoever cared.

No one seemed to; they were all too busy oohing and awing over the miniature sized booties that Eve received as a present. John got up from his seat and went out of the restaurant. Right when he was about to take a seat on the curb, a kid from inside came out and screamed.

"John Cena!"

He forced a smile and walked over to the little boy with brown curly hair.

"Whoa! You're John Cena!" he pointed at him and John nodded. "You're bigger in person."

John knelt down beside him. "What's your name, little man?"

"Derrick, Derrick Foster. I am seven years old. I am a big fan of yours. My mom is friends with Eve and I don't really like her as a wrestler but- but she knows people who I do like. Like you!"

John laughed. Derrick's upbeat and talkative persona reminded him of Logan. "Well, it's nice to meet you Derrick."

"Very nice to meet you too John Cena. Come!" the little boy signaled his hand to the restaurant. "Us kids have to stay in this one room while the adults stay in the other. You should come play with us!"

"Alright, alright," John nodded, a real smile present on his face. He'd always been big with kids and having raised one himself only gave him more admiration towards them. They required a whole lot of attention and energy, but the joy came with it. Being around children was refreshing.

John followed Derrick into the room full of kids and as soon as they caught sight of him, they all ran and hugged his knees.

"Whoa, let me get into the room first, you guys."

Some released him, others clung on. John still smiled.

"Let go, you guys!" Derrick ordered. He pried them off of John, having some sense of pride that he was the reason for John being there.

All the kids backed off, their heads still high from looking up at the wrestler. Their faces were just as awed as the adults had been with the baby clothes.

"Oh, John. You're gonna be stuck here for awhile."

John turned and saw Melina walk in with a kid in hand.

"I know," he smiled. "It's okay, I love kids."

"We all know that. You sure it wont be a bother?"

John shook his head. "No. If anything, it'll help me miss Logan a little less. That surely couldn't do any harm."

Melina nodded. "Well, I'm dropping off my niece here." She turned to her. "You be a good girl, okay? I'll be back to check up on you. I'll see you later, too, John."

John, occupied by the kids in front of him, gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Melina laughed before leaving the room.

"John's in there?" Eve asked.

Melina nodded. "Yup and Roxanne isn't anywhere is she?"

Before Eve could respond, the both of them heard screams and wails from the other room. Melina walked back inside and saw her niece by the door. "What's going on in here?"

"That girl wont give me her headband!"

Melina knelt down beside her niece and smoothed out her hair. "Honey, that's her headband."

"But it's soooo pretty! I want it and she wont give it to me."

Melina sighed. "But it's not yours-"

"Here!" The girl with the headband tossed it to Melina and stomped off to a corner of the room.

"It's mine now," Melina's niece declared. She put it on and smiled mischievously.

John approached them from behind. "That wasn't very nice."

Melina nodded in agreement. "Why don't you give the girl back her headband?"

"No!"

John ensued patience into his voice. "Just let her keep it, I don't think she'll sit well if we take it from her now."

Melina looked at him skeptically.

"I'll talk to the other girl. We can work with her."

Melina stood up and whispered, "I guess. She's a lot smaller but from the looks of it, she's more mature than my niece."

John laughed before walking over to the little girl in the corner. "Hey."

She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. She had her knees pressed against her chest and her mouth sealed shut.

"That was really nice of you to give that girl your headband."

She shrugged.

"What's your name?"

"Remy."

"Remy, that's a very pretty name. Mine is John."

She blinked in silence.

"Here." John handed her his hat. "Since you gave her your headband, I'll give you my hat."

She looked at it while fidgeting with her hands.

"Here," John placed it over her head and she began to laugh. It swallowed her whole forehead. She kept giggling, even when he took a seat beside her.

She smiled up at him before pushing the hat upwards so the brim wouldn't block her eyes. "Thanks!"

"Hey, no problem," John smiled.

The two sat in silence as they looked on at the everyone else in the room. It was chaos but civil at the same time. John closed his eyes for a second to take in a deep breath and when he opened it, Remy had left his side.

His eyes searched through the crowd and even with everyone talking all at once, he was able to pick out her voice. It was distinct to his ears.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy! Look what I got!"

He saw her by the door, with both her hands over her head. He couldn't see who she was talking to but from what he's heard, it was obviously her mom. He smiled at her enthusiasm. Her face was priceless.

It reminded him of Logan and his reaction every time he would come home.

"Mommy, isn't it a nice hat? John gave it to me!" Remy pulled her mom's hand into the room in excitement.

John continued to look on and when Roxanne appeared, his heart stopped.

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone shocked? Well, I couldn't give you guys an update without involving Roxanne, so there she is. I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for those who reviewed the first chapter. You guys are beyond awesome! Keep it up and I definitely will too :)<strong>


	3. Papers

As soon as John's heart rate resumed, it started galloping. Both of his hands made fists on his knee and he sat like a crumbling statue. He was still in the corner of the room where Remy had left him.

She, on the other hand, was all the way across the room, with her mom. _With Roxanne. _

John shifted his view from one to the other. Easily, both appeared as the most beautiful females he's ever seen. He continued to stare at them, observe them, and watch them as if they were the only people on this earth. It was then that he realized they had different eye colors. Roxanne had brown, while her daughter had blue.

"Mommy!" Remy tugged on Roxanne's hand and pulled her further into the room.

John's mouth was dry and open from total shock; he had to force himself to close it as soon as he realized he lost all words. He just stared.

"Sweetie," Roxanne knelt down beside her daughter. "That's a nice hat but isn't it a little too big for you?"

Remy placed her free hand over the hat and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. It's perfect, mommy! I like it the way it is."

Roxanne smiled. If she was shocked at John being there, she definitely didn't show it. She barely even looked at him. "Okay, suite yourself. Mommy's gonna get food now, would you like some?"

"Nope. I'm still full from breakfast. Maybe later."

"Alright, I'll come back in a little bit, okay?"

"Kay!" Remy kissed her mom on the cheek before she watched her exit the room. Then, she returned to John with a smile on her face. "That was my mommy. Isn't she pretty?"

He nodded.

"Like really, really, reeeeeaaaaaally pretty?" Remy asked, tip toeing as she did.

John, temporarily able to divert from total shock, chuckled. "Yes, your mom is beautiful."

Remy linked her hands behind her back and smiled.

"Just like you," John added. "But can I ask you a question?"

The little girl nodded.

"How old are you?"

"Uhhh…" she brought her right hand to his face. "This much!"

John anticipated for her to drop a finger or two but as he looked on, she kept all five up. "Five? You're five years old?"

She nodded. "Yup! I just turned five last week."

"But…how…" John whispered. He stared at her in disbelief while he reviewed the thousand and one implications of her age.

"Isn't it great, John?" Remy bounced in place and her blue eyes got brighter. "I'm five years old which means…which means…" she brought her other hand to his face. "I'm closer to being ten!"

John forced a laugh. He was still desperately trying to process all of this. How could she be five when the last time he saw Roxanne was barely five years ago? That had to mean she was pregnant even before they parted.

"Hey Remy, I have to do something real quick. I'll be back, okay?"

"Do you need my help? You helped me feel better by giving me your hat."

John smiled. "I'm glad I helped you, but I think I can do this on my own."

"You sure?" She brought her face closer towards him.

His smile grew. This kid sure knew how to tug on his heartstrings. She was just like her mother. "Yeah, I'm sure. But if ever I do, I know where to find you. I'll be back."

"Kay!"

John got up, feeling his vulnerability increase with every step that he took. He panned the restaurant but there were too many people. Earlier, he welcomed the immensity of this company but now that Roxanne was around, he wanted no one else to be.

He spun his head, careful enough to eye each section of the place. He couldn't find her without a luck. "Fuck, where are you?"

Frustrated, he brought a hand to his forehead and looked down. When he brought his face back up, there she was. Smack across the room with an empty plate in her hand.

This was it. This was his chance to speak to her again.

John inched himself closer and closer, oblivious to everything that was in between him and Roxanne. He had tunnel vision and God, Roxanne was beautiful. She was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

"Rox."

He saw her chest rise steadily from side view. It appeared as though she was breathing easy, unlike him. He watched her continue to spread cheese over a cracker but when he spoke again, the cracker broke and disintegrated between her fingers.

"Rox," he said for the third time.

Still steady, she settled the broken crumbs on her plate and wiped both of her hands onto the side of her dress. She looked at him as if it were only now that she noticed his presence. Her lips formed a wry smile.

John took a second to catch his breath before he spoke again. "You- you have a daughter?"

When Roxanne quickly averted, John inwardly cursed himself for the way he'd started off the conversation. But who could blame him? He was kept in the dark about Remy for all those years. He deserved answers.

"Roxanne."

"My daughter is none of your business."

"But she has a father."

"Everybody does."

"And she's five years old."

Roxanne narrowed her eyes at John. "How dare you."

John clutched his hand and stepped closer towards her, desperate to keep his voice and frustration low. "What? I can't ask her how old she is?"

"Stay away from her," she said.

"She's five years old!"

Roxanne curled her fingers in. "I know how old my daughter is John, you don't need to remind me. Just stay away from her."

She tried to move but John gripped her arm, placing them at a standstill. They were only inches apart. John could feel her breath on his skin and her sweet smell gave him a feeling more potent than anything. Their hearts were beating a hundred miles per hour, ready to burst any minute.

"I deserve an explanation, Rox."

She jerked her arm away from his grip and backed up without a word.

"I deserve an explanation," he repeated, his voice more firm and strong.

She didn't flinch one bit and she only gave him a brusque shake of her head.

"Damn it, Roxanne!" John ran a shaky hand through his hair and looked at her.

How could she keep Remy a secret for all those years? How could she keep doing so even after discovery? She'd been caught and she seemed more adamant to keep her mouth shut. How dare she!

"Remy is five years old…five years old!"

Roxanne turned her head away from him. Her jaw was tight and when she looked back at him, her eyes were struck with emotion that neither of them could understand. "Stop repeating yourself and-"

"I would if you'd just explain all of this to me."

"This is none of your business."

John sighed. Of all the things he had to worry about, he was glad that they hadn't grabbed attention. Not yet anyway. "We were together around the time she was conceived. I think this is my business."

"Your calculations may be right but that's in the past. Now if you excuse me," Roxanne tried to move away, and this time, he let her.

But he followed.

Neither said a word until they got out of the restaurant.

She turned around, disgusted at the fact that he'd tailed her. "Leave us alone!"

John firmly shook his head, determined to refute her orders. "No. The time we were together may be in the past but Remy's here. She's alive and she has a father. Who is it?"

Roxanne crossed her arms. "How many times do I have to tell you this is none of your damn business?"

"Does Remy even know? Huh, Roxanne? Or is who her father is none of her business too?"

"I'm the mom, okay?"

"That doesn't give you the right to keep her father a mystery. You're not the only damn parent!"

"Don't tell me how to raise my child!" Roxanne spat.

"Her father - whoever he is - deserves the right to raise her just as much as you do."

She shook her head abrasively. "No. No. Not if I know he won't be around as much as he's supposed to."

"And who the hell gave you the right to decide what was enough?" John was practically yelling at her.

Roxanne turned her head again. Her mouth was formed into a hyphen and damn it, she was furious. There were angry tears in her eyes when she turned back to face him.

John felt his heart shatter as he watched her frantically brush the tears away. An unpleasant feeling washed over him and it was damn impossible to keep the guilt from succumbing him. Obviously, he was still broken from finding out Logan was not his son and he managed to take it out on Roxanne.

Poor Roxanne. This wasn't the first time he'd taken things out on her.

"Roxanne I-"

She put her hand up and took a deep breath. "Please, just stop. I understand what may be going on in your head but just trust me when I say back off."

John held back a response as he watched her begin to walk towards the restaurant. Right as she was about to open the door, he spoke up, "You never said she wasn't my child."

The second his words were able to register, Roxanne epitomized a frozen statue. Then, she silently went on with opening the door and continued to walk off, leaving John with more questions and no answers.

* * *

><p>Lifeless, John got himself to bed. It'd been a week since the baby shower, a week since he last had alcohol, and a week since he started living in pure hell. It was so sad. The days were getting worse and as they did, he felt himself die a little more. Scratch that, <em>a lot more<em>.

His only defense as of late was to pull himself out of consciousness. He was starting to be robotic now. A prototype, just like in his early career. But this had nothing to do with career or professionalism. All this pain was more personal than that. Too personal. Too sensitive of a matter. But he had no escape. This was what his life had come to.

John Cena was helpless.

He tossed and turned. He was desperate for sleep to finally take him but the tighter he closed his eyes, the more awake he got. Every night was a god damn marathon of this.

He sat up in bed and stared sightlessly into empty space. For the past week, he'd been feeling handicap. He watched Roxanne walk away, then spent the next seven days sulking over the fact that she was gone again. Not only was she gone but Remy was gone with her. Remy who had a nameless father.

And there he was, in some hotel room, with long hours until sunrise.

* * *

><p>Roxanne laid immobilized by despair. It was late at night and rather than readmitting defeat to sleep, she stayed restless in bed. At this point, she didn't know what affected her worse: the reoccurring nightmares or the dreams she'd been having of John. Both left her uneasy. Both left her awake for endless hours.<p>

It was two in the morning and she'd woken up some twenty, thirty, forty minutes ago. It was because of the dream this time, not the nightmare. Still, she got up from the bed and checked her windows; making it the third time that night. She went over to Remy's room and checked hers for the fourth time. Then, she walked herself downstairs to check the front door, the back door, and the side door. To anyone watching, it would've looked insane but to her it was nothing but a nightly routine. Especially when she couldn't sleep. That, too, had become a nightly routine. Ever since she crossed paths with John, _the _John - John Cena, staying up had been inevitable.

Thoughts of him came at a tenfold and she couldn't help but wonder if he too, was thinking of her.

She sat her tired body on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest. The ticking of the clock sounded louder than her thoughts and for as long as she was able to believe that, she held onto it. She couldn't galvanize herself to think of him for more seconds, minutes, and hours than she already had.

Damn it, she had a life of her own now. Her world involved herself and Remy. That was all she needed. Why did he have to reappear again?

She slammed her forehead against her knee and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

She knew seeing John wasn't the problem. He wasn't the reason she'd been so quick to push him back into the past. It wasn't him. It definitely wasn't him.

It was that damn wedding ring he still had.

That was always the problem between them and to her dismay, it still was and it always will be. The only thing that kept her sane was the fact that she was going to do every thing possible to make sure that problem would never reach Remy. To make that happen, she'd keep Remy away from both the problem and the source of the problem.

Whether John Cena was her father, or not.

* * *

><p>John Cena wasn't the father.<p>

It'd been a couple weeks since he found out and he still couldn't believe it. He was not Logan's father. Of course, that did nothing to deter his love for the child. But it did deter the already tainted relationship he had with his wife. Their marriage had been broken long since but finding out the deceitfulness of Elizabeth only pushed John to the edge.

They were estranged but they were definitely headed for divorce now.

"Like it should've been five years ago," John muttered to himself. He titled his head back on the headrest of his Hyundai as he stayed stuck in traffic. He'd been on the same highway, in the same vicinity, for the past thirty minutes.

The traffic was no bother to him. It allowed him more time to prepare for arriving at his destination. He had plans, big plans, and they were finally put to work after five years.

A smile appeared on his face as he ran the processes through his head. This was it. He was taking his life back into his hands. His fingers drummed the steering wheel lightly as he inched closer to the car in front of him. He looked to his passenger seat and saw the papers.

His smile grew.

Then finally, the traffic got loose and he started driving at a faster speed. Just when his mind was starting to get put at ease. It left him in a balanced trance.

He kept driving and driving until finally, he reached his destination. It took less time than he anticipated. He reached for the papers and bolted out of his car.

He looked up at the house, feeling no sense of familiarity. Instead, he was met by an overwhelming feeling of relief. He was here. He was here to take the steps he should've taken five years ago.

John took a deep breath and walked himself to the front door. He rang the door bell and while he waited, he looked at the papers in his hands again.

On it was Remy's handwriting of her address.

* * *

><p><strong>Why so much hostility between Rox and John, hm? Well no need to fear, Remy is here! Ahaha. Btw, her name is pronounced like REM-E. But I'm pretty sure you guys got that already. Let me know what you think will and <em>should<em> happen! I appreciate all the reviews :)**


	4. From The Past

A man answered the door.

All words got stuck in John's throat and his only logical move was to look down at the paper in his hand. Was he in the right house? He glanced at the numbers nailed next to the door and confirmed that it matched what was written. He turned his head and confirmed the street he was in, too, matched what was written. He returned his sights back to the man. He tried to swallow but his throat was dry.

"Can I help you?" the man spoke up. He was dressed in a button up and slacks.

John glanced at the paper again. It was nicely written for a five year old but was it reliable? Remy barely managed to scrawl her address before she heard her mom calling her. Maybe she got her address wrong. Maybe she misspelled her street name, her city, or even forgot or mixed up number.

How formidable was this piece of paper? Surely, John knew this was a long shot. It'd taken him a week to conjure enough guts to travel all the way over there. He'd been too busy contemplating how to woo Roxanne back that he missed the single most important step. How would he get to her in the first place?

Her daughter, her beautiful precious daughter, had helped him out and gave him their address. Sure, it worried him that she willingly gave it to a stranger. But as his eyes studied the masculine features in front of him, he realized that she might've given him the wrong one.

But what if it wasn't the wrong one? A man was at the door. What could that mean? Was this Remy's father? No, that wasn't likely. He had brown eyes and so did Roxanne. Remy had blue. Was he _playing_ Remy's father? Was he Roxanne's lover? Boyfriend? Fiancée? Husband?

John stood there, immobilized by the relentless implications that came through his head.

"Can I help you?" the man repeated with an underlining tone of annoyance. He was fixing the cuffs on his sleeves now.

Before John could answer, or even _come up _with an answer, a familiar voice erupted from the background. "Mommy, I'm all dressed now!"

The man at the door looked behind him and smiled, allowing John a view into the house.

Remy had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when she caught his eye and jumped up in excitement. "John!"

She ran to him in full force. Her little frame was wrapped into his arms within seconds. "Hey Remy!"

"Where have you been?" she let go of him, resting her tiny fingers on his biceps.

He was crouched down to her level. "I've been working. Sorry it took me awhile to visit."

"Well I'm glad you're here. You should come to school with me!" she suggested, jumping in her place. She looked behind her and yelled, "Mommy, can he go to school with me?"

John looked up and saw no traces of Roxanne. She must've been in another room. The kitchen, maybe; fixing up Remy's lunch, John imagined. He waited for a response and when he heard none, he stood up.

"Mommy! Can he?"

"What?"

"Can he go to school with me?"

"Sweetie, Matt has to-" Roxanne's mouth stopped moving, as did her heart, when she walked into the room. She rallied her sights between the three people there.

She was forced to settle on Remy, who was the first to speak up. "Can John come?"

"He's not even supposed to be _here_," she muttered.

Apparently, it was only audible to her. She didn't have enough time to decide if that was a good thing before Remy quickly ran up to her. "Pretty please?"

Roxanne shook her head. "Remy, you can't just bring whoever you want to school. Especially him."

"Mommmmmy!" Remy stomped her foot and crossed her arms. "What is that supposed to mean: e_specially him_?"

"Well, John's been on TV and that'd be a little crazy for school, don't you think?"

"But mommy, I'm gonna be on TV someday too! Does that mean _I_ shouldn't go to school?"

That forced a laugh out of Roxanne. And the two men. "No, silly. You're still young and you need to be in school."

"So John can't come?" Remy's made a pout.

"I'm sorry, sweetie."

The little girl bit her lip and looked at John. "I'm sorry."

John chuckled. It wasn't genuine but it sure helped him ease into the situation. A little bit, at least. "It's okay. Your mom has a point."

Roxanne opened her mouth but before she managed to get a word out, Remy left her side and ran to John. "You're gonna be here when I get back from school right?"

John smiled. He looked at Roxanne for confirmation, but all he got was an apprehensive stare.

"Pleeeease, John, pretty please?" Remy jumped, throwing herself closer to him. Her neck was bent all the way back as she looked up at the taller figure in front of her.

He chuckled. "If it's okay with your mom."

"Of course it is! Right mommy?"

Roxanne tried her best to suppress a groan. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

Remy didn't wait for her. "See, John. It is okay. So you'll be here after school, right?"

John smiled. The sight of Roxanne speechless was cute and God did he want to kiss her. Right then and there. But he couldn't. Not yet, anyway. "Yes, I'll definitely be here."

"Yay!" Remy cheered. "After school's going to be the best!"

"Speaking of school," the man, who John now knew was named Matt, spoke up. "I should probably drive you there now or else you'll be late."

Remy frowned. "Aw man. Okay...fine. I'll see you later John!"

Roxanne watched as her daughter walked out of the door without looking back. She couldn't believe this. Somehow, John managed to get some time with Remy when he should've been kicked out at first sight. And she, well, she stood there like a dumb mute. Or maybe she just didn't have any objections. She shook her head. Of course she had objections! Remy left for school without saying bye and to make things worse, she'd be with a stranger after school. All this, because of John.

God. She hated this. She was flustered. She was all choked up.

She forced her lips to form a formidable smile as Matt excused himself and said bye.

Within a second, only John and her were in the room. Alone. Together.

Oh. _Oh_.

Her heart was beating profusely out of her chest. She didn't know what to say. Damn it, what was wrong with her? He wasn't supposed to be there yet she couldn't bring herself to make sure of it.

John gladly, but nervously, picked up from there. "I wanted to see you."

Roxanne laughed with sarcasm. Her perplexity was replaced by an overwhelming wave of aggression. "And what'd you end up doing? You meddled your way into my daughter's life."

"That wasn't my intention coming here but it turned out that way. What's so bad about that?"

"What's so bad? _What's so bad?_" Roxanne's voice was just as murderous as her glare. She crossed her arms and brought herself closer to him. "You think you can just show up at my house, fix to spend time with my daughter - like you know her, and think that's okay?"

"Well, you never really gave me a reason why it's not." John's voice was casual and it only heightened her frustration.

"This is ridiculous, John. Why are you here?"

John was ready to answer but she wasn't done talking.

"Why are you even here, John? I asked you to leave us alone. My daughter is better off without any ties with you but you can't respect that, can you?"

"I didn't come here for Remy. I came here for you. It just so happens that she likes me and-" he paused when Roxanne averted her eyes. She began shaking her head but he was determined to get through to her. Damn it, he was gonna get through to her. "What's wrong? I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to be here. How is that so hard to understand?"

"Why not?"

"Because Remy-"

"Remy's gonna be alright. I'm not gonna harm her. This whole thing isn't even about her. It's about us."

"There is no _us_, John, there never was."

John tried to laugh. He got even closer to her. "There never was? You and me both know that's a lie."

Roxanne held her stare but didn't say a word. John stepped closer, causing her to back up. He kept taking steps until he got her against a wall. He placed a hand against it, causing the corners of his lips to perk up.

He saw right through her tough facade and he was determined to shred off that veneer. He'd get to her. He would.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," Roxanne scoffed.

"Aw. I called it my smile and I thought it was cute."

She shot him a sarcastic smile. "_I thought it was cute, _meh, meh, meh."

John laughed and backed up a step. "Mature, Roxanne, very mature. Why are you so mad? Why are you so angry, huh? What's wrong?"

"You not listening to me when say leave me alone is wrong."

"Why should I? If we ever meet again right?"

She rolled her eyes. "That was just a saying five years ago, John."

"Just a saying?" John narrowed his eyes at her. "So you're saying what it meant five years ago, means nothing now?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

John's eyes buckled as he watched Roxanne walk past him. The comic relief he was desperately trying to reel them into didn't work. He stared at the wall for a few seconds before he quickly tried to recuperate. Damn, this was harder than he thought. Not only did she have her defenses up for Remy, who to his dismay still had a nameless father, but she had her defenses up for herself too.

She's worth it though, he reminded herself. Not that he needed the reminder.

He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she brought some dirty dishes to the sink. Although her back was to him, she was just as equally appealing. His eyes moved over every inch of her skin, every contour and every curve. God he missed her. He missed every single part of her.

Although missing her was always hard, it was also easy. It reminded him of the times when he did have her.

And he had her right now, right in front of him. He'd be a fool to let her slip away a second time. He brought himself closer, ready to continue their conversation. As he prepared himself to speak up, he saw some commotion through the kitchen window that peered over the front porch.

A mysterious pipe smashed through Roxanne's car window, followed by a few more that each made their way through the other windows.

"Whatta-" Roxanne dropped the plate in her hands as she heard the glass explode. She stood for a few seconds, staring absently, as her brain took the time to register. Then, she abruptly walked away and headed towards the front porch.

John instinctively followed. He forced his mind to neutral, refusing to let it register to terror.

By the time they got outside, the destruction was done, and whoever caused it was long gone. Roxanne slowly walked around her car as she studied the damages.

It wasn't too bad, she supposed.

All her windows were broken, front and rear included. Lethal shreds of glass rained over the pavement all around them. Some minor dents were visible on the driver's side but everything else looked clean.

Roxanne stepped closer, reaching inside to pull out one of the weapons hurled for damage. Her heart sunk as if she'd just identified a dead body at the morgue. This pipe looked all too familiar.

Her nightmare wasn't just a nightmare from the past anymore.

John watched wordlessly, as she tightened her grip on the metal twined between her fingers. She didn't look mad, and that's not what worried him.

She looked scared.

"Any idea who did this?" He was behind her, all along he was beside her.

"I'm gonna go to the junk yard and get these windows fixed up," she said, completely dismissing his question.

John stood there, immobilized as he watched her walk past him. Panic was writing inside of him but damn it, he needed to hold onto control. He needed to find the next steps to ensure of Roxanne's safety. As he reviewed his options, she got back to his sights and into her car.

"Are you fucking crazy?" He stepped towards her.

She answered by slamming the drivers door shut, enclosing herself into the dimensions of her car.

"There's broken glass all over the seats!"

She turned the car on before looking back at him through the naked window. "I can take a few cuts. Trust me, I've had worst."

"Roxanne-"

"Listen," she cut him off.

Obviously, there was something she wasn't telling him; something she knew that he didn't; something that seemed far more scary than he could ever imagine. She had plans and there was no way he'd be included in them. He got that impression, easily. But he wasn't going to give in that easily.

No. No way. Not at the expense of her safety. And Remy's for that matter.

"Pick Remy up at 2:15. She goes to Hillwood Academic Day School. She'll be waiting for you at the front parking lot. If you're not sure which one, just look for a mural. It takes up the whole building so you can't miss it. Alright?"

"Alright," John answered robotically. At least he was useful for something.

"2:15 sharp. Afterwards, take her somewhere… anywhere you'd think kids enjoy. But don't feed her ice cream until she's had a full meal. She'll throw up." Roxanne reached into the glove compartment and grabbed a piece of paper. She scrawled her number on it before passing it to John. "Call me if anything. I'm trusting you, John. Keep her safe and don't mention what happened, please."

John nodded stoically.

Roxanne was giving these orders as if life depended on it. Maybe it did.

John opened his mouth to plea for her safety, to tell her he still loved her, and maybe - if he had enough guts, to ask if he could come with her and that they'd pick Remy up together.

But before he picked out his choice of words, Roxanne was already long gone.

* * *

><p><strong>What the hell is going on? Ah. Good question! Well, there's a lot that happened in those five years that they were separated and believe me, the unraveling hasn't even begun. Thoughts? Concerns? I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys are seriously amazing(:<strong>


	5. Blueberry Syrup

"Today was great."

John's lips curved immediately as he pulled up to the driveway. The little girl on the passenger seat, who'd been his complement the whole day, took the words right out of his mouth. "Today was great."

Remy smacked the piece of bubble gum in her mouth then boasted, "My favorite part was beating you in Mario Kart at Best Buy!"

"Oh yeah?" John turned the engine off. "Well my favorite part was ordering the better ice cream flavor."

Remy narrowed her eyes at his challenge. "Well my second favorite part was stealing it from you." She stuck her tongue out before rampantly opening her door to stray from John's tickles. She fell into a fit of giggles as she stepped onto the pavement and heard the crackling of glass.

"Remy, wait!" John quickly got out the car to pick her up in one swift motion. Since her mother wasn't the least bit worried about the broken glass, John felt entitled to at least keep Remy safe from it.

"What's wrong, John?" Remy shuffled around in his arms as she looked down to the ground.

John secured her arms around his neck and answered, "There's broken glass. I didn't want you to cut yourself."

"Silly, I'm wearing shoes." She swung her feet back and forth, as if John needed tangible proof.

He smiled. "I know but since you ate my ice cream, I was scared your shoes were gonna melt."

Remy covered her mouth and started giggling. "You're so silly John. Shoes don't melt."

He wink at her before he made his way to the front door.

Right as he was ready to ring the door bell, Remy informed, "There's a spare key taped under the window sill."

John raised his eyebrows. Although it was working to his advantage, he worried Remy may one day give too much information to the wrong person. He quickly dismissed that thought as he stripped the key off and used it to open the front door.

He walked Remy in and immediately froze.

Roxanne was barely visible through the embrace she had with Matt. His arms were circled around her shoulders and it looked intimate. _They_ looked intimate.

John found no words. He almost dropped Remy from lack of air as he felt his throat constrict. It felt like someone was choking him.

"Hey you guys." Roxanne's voice cracked. She pulled away from Matt, revealing her matching red eyes and nose.

She'd been crying, John learned.

Damn it, she'd been crying. And it wasn't his arms that she cried into. It was Matt. Fucking Matt!

"I haven't heard from you guys since school ended," Roxanne sniffled. She faked a smile as she got closer to them.

Remy tightened her grip around John's neck. "Mommy, have you been crying?"

"No, sweetie. My allergies are just kicking in," she lied. She looked straight at John, causing his knees to buckle. "Will you tuck her into bed for me?"

John meekly nodded. He slowly eased Remy to the floor before asking, "Where's your room?"

"Up here!" She took his hand and led him right to it.

John didn't have enough time to anticipate before she jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. He walked beside the five year old and smiled.

His day had been great. So much so that finding out the truth of how she came to be became almost trivial. That was the least of his worries right now. He had the present to take care of. And so far, he seemed to be on his way. He felt confident. All that came to a halt when he stepped through the front doors and saw Roxanne and Matt. Fucking Matt.

The last thing he wanted to do was spoil Remy's mood so John shook his head and suppressed the nagging thoughts. "So…you ready to go to sleep?"

Remy tugged the blanket closer and nodded. "But don't leave me."

This forced a laugh out of John. An easy, genuine laugh, he realized. "I'm not gonna leave you, Remy. Don't worry."

Practically drowned in all the green fabric around her, she smiled. "Kay good. I'm sure you can protect me just as good as mommy can."

He nodded without thought. Then, it dawned on him. Protect her from what?

The boogeyman in the closet? The ghost under the bed? There were the obvious answers. But mounted from the events of this morning, John's paranoia took hold of him. "Is there uh…" he paused to think of a light way to ask a five year old of her worries. "Anything specific you want me to protect you from?"

She looked at him with a pale complexion; then, sunk deeper onto the bed before nodding her head. She had that scared look on her face. The same one Roxanne had, earlier that morning.

John furrowed his eyebrows, his concern increasing.

"I-I don't like talking about it."

Silence hung for a few seconds.

Remy spoke up. "Just stay with me, please. I can't go to sleep by myself."

For a girl who told a little too much, this lack of explanation further heightened John's worry. He brought his hand to lightly brush a hand over her head. They were practically the same size. "Relax Remy. I'm not gonna leave you."

John looked around and found a chair to sit beside her bed. He figured Roxanne must've used it every night to put Remy to sleep. It'd be his turn tonight.

He touched Remy's hand and felt the warmth travel all the way up his arm and into his heart. This little girl, in the little amount of time he knew her, had captured his heart. She was just like her mother.

Exactly like her mother, John thought.

"Good night, John. Thank you for today," Remy said before closing her eyes.

John squeezed her hand. "Thank _you_ for today. And good night to you too, angel."

The little girl slowly drifted off into sleep, with a smile on her face.

Later, much later, John felt the dread as he traveled down the stairs. He'd sat beside Remy until she fell asleep then he waited another thirty minutes to leave. As he got back downstairs, he heard whistling from the kitchen. Since he knew Roxanne was incapable, he assumed it must've been Matt. Fucking Matt.

John took a step towards the front door then immediately stopped. Even though he knew it would salvage his heart to just leave, since he couldn't bear the sight of Matt, he did want to see Roxanne. So, he took a deep breath before walking towards the sound of the whistles. He was going to say good night. It was the courteous thing to do, after all.

"Oh, hey John. Thanks for tucking her in for me."

John adjusted his sight to where the voice came from. Roxanne was by the sink, but he'd been too busy anticipating the sight of Matt that he missed her. To his surprise, and pleasure, Matt wasn't there. John, again, found no words.

"I know you don't really drink this stuff but would you like some tea?" Roxanne asked.

Ah. The teapot. That's where the whistles came from. John inwardly laughed at himself. He felt ridiculous.

"Is that a no?"

John snapped out of his thoughts and the image of Roxanne settled in. She was beautiful even after a long day. Striking. Almost hypnotic. "I'd love some."

She nodded before pouring him a cup and handing it to him.

He slipped his finger into the handle then brought the drink to his lips. She was right: he didn't really drink this stuff and he was starting to wonder why. The liquid seeped through his system smoothly, satisfying every fiber of his body. It was either that or the fact that Roxanne was right in front of him.

She was sitting on a stool, looking up at him blankly.

"May I?" he asked, eyeing the stool adjacent from her.

She nodded.

He took the seat then settled the cup on the counter. He played with it, not sure how to work his nerves to ask his burning questions.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him.

He locked eyes with her, surprised.

She'd gone through a hell of an emotional rollercoaster today, he thought. First, she looked chocked up when he appeared at her door. Then she looked infuriated. Then her windows got smashed and she got scared. Then she turned almost robotic as if she'd been prepared for it to happen. Then she was in tears. And now she was suddenly okay with his presence?

There was no denying that since she'd allowed him to spend time with her daughter. She even gave him the right to tuck her into bed and from how that turned out, it seemed like a special task. Which brought him right back to his burning questions.

He cleared his throat. "Remy looked terrified as soon as she got in bed."

Roxanne nodded. A sullen sigh passed through her lips. She looked at the counter, as if trying to debate whether to say anything. "Yeah…she um…she's afraid of being alone when she's asleep. Lucky for me, she never wakes up in the middle of the night."

John's heart was beating fast. Remy, precious little Remy, afraid. Afraid of what? As much as he wanted to know, he couldn't bring himself to ask. He'd been feeling like an invader all day and the last thing he wanted to do was to further intrude. He was gonna take what Roxanne offered, and that only.

Another sullen sigh passed through her lips.

But what the hell was going on? John was struggling to take all this in. He knew he'd only seen the tip of the iceberg and it scared the fuck out of him to know there was more. A lot more. A lot he didn't know. But as he evaluated his own terror, he imagined how Roxanne and Remy were feeling. They knew. They knew whatever reason it was that their caused their faces to strike with such horror. They knew whatever it was that he didn't.

John let out a sigh of his own. "Roxanne-"

She looked up at him.

He realized he hadn't been breathing. He let out his breath and said, "Let me stay for the night."

She shot him a look of apprehension but he was glad; he was damn glad it wasn't a look of immediate rejection.

He explained, "I can sleep in my car if you don't want me inside the house. But just in case anything else happens, I wanna be close by."

Roxanne didn't say anything nor change her facial expression.

"I'm worried," John added.

Roxanne ran her fingers through her hair. "No need, John."

He kept his eyes on hers.

"You can sleep on the couch if you'd like."

His muscles went lax.

She smiled at him and automatically, he smiled back.

"Speaking of sleep," she began. "I should probably get some now. It's been a long day."

John nodded. He gripped the glass in front of him, not sure what to do now. He was welcomed. He was fucking welcomed! Not quite back into her heart, but on her couch. That was good enough for now.

"Goodnight, John."

He nodded and watched as she got up. He couldn't help but mimic her actions so he too, got up. Feelings of embarrassment took over when she walked right past him. Why'd he stand up for? It seemed like he'd just gotten in her way or something.

Shaking his head, John turned the light off in the kitchen and headed for the living room.

"Hey John?"

He turned the corner and halted when Roxanne was a mere foot away. Neither moved.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure the front door's locked."

"Okay."

"And thanks again for taking care of Remy today."

"It was my pleasure," he answered coolly.

The both of them held each other's eyes.

It may have been for a second too long because before Roxanne realized what was happening, John leaned in and kissed her. Not hard, not too long, but a kiss nonetheless. It instilled a lazy kind of possession that shot simmering heat all throughout her body. She opened her eyes and melted right into his. But of course, she didn't show it.

"Goodnight, Roxanne."

Before she could think of anything to say, John turned and started down the hallway. He didn't seem the least bit apologetic for what he'd done. It didn't seem like he'd planned it either.

Planned or not, it left Roxanne stunned. Even when she got to bed, he was all she could think about.

* * *

><p>John woke up with a sweet aroma sweeping through the living room. He opened his eyes and was met by a fresh stack of pancakes on the coffee table.<p>

"Good morning!"

He looked up and saw Remy heading his way with two glasses of orange juice.

"Good morning," he mumbled, sitting up. He blinked his eyes in order to gain a clearer focus and when he did, he realized Roxanne was sitting on the couch nearby.

She was thumbing through a newspaper.

"Wow, I slept through all this?" he asked.

Roxanne looked up from the printed paper in her hands and laughed. "I guess you're not just heavy in weight but sleep too."

He scratched his head and smiled at his embarrassment.

"Let's eat!" Remy chimed in. She was sitting on her calves with a fork in hand.

John laughed. "Alright, but only if _you _cooked this."

Remy nodded. "Of course I did! I mixed it, poured it and everything."

"Hey! What is all this talk supposed to mean?" Roxanne stuffed the newspaper beside her on the seat.

"Oh you know," John shrugged with a smile on his face. "Your cooking-"

He stopped mid-sentence when a pillow came charging at him. Roxanne crossed her arms and frowned.

"Rox, you didn't even let me finish."

"But he was gonna say it's sucky," Remy shrugged. She shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth before smiling. "But it's okay mommy, we still love you."

Roxanne shook her head and muttered, "Unbelievable."

John laughed. "Come on, let's eat."

"No."

He leaned forward. "Come on, Rox. Don't me mad."

"I'm not mad. I just…I want my blueberry syrup."

"I'll get that for you," John smiled. "Where is it?"

"On the shelves next to the fridge," Remy muffled through her food.

"Alright, I'll be back."

John made his way to the kitchen with a smile on his face. Things weren't going too bad with Roxanne. Not bad at all. He looked through the shelves and accidentally knocked off a container in the process.

"Shit," he cursed, bending over to pick it up. He got the lid and put it back on.

It was while trying to put the container on the shelve when he noticed what else had fallen off. It looked like a ring.

Forcing himself to pick it up, he swallowed.

It's just a ring. A diamond ring, but just a ring, he told himself.

He shook his head and carried it with him to the living room.

Roxanne met him halfway. "You couldn't find it?"

John meekly shook his head.

She smiled before passing him. Then he followed.

"I found this inside the container I accidentally knocked off."

Roxanne took the bottle of syrup before turning to him. She froze.

She looked at the ring before taking it from his hands.

John tried to look into her eyes but it seemed as though she was only willing to look at anywhere but him.

She dropped the ring on the counter and sighed.

"It's my engagement ring," she explained flatly.

* * *

><p><strong>Yikes! Roxanne's engagement ring? Ah, don't worry, stories from the five years are coming <em>very<em> soon. And d'aww, the two shared a goodnight kiss! Prepare for John's reaction though! And I'd like to say, all you reviewers are fucking bomb! Thanks guys :D**


	6. Time To Forget

Tense. It was both awkward and tense.

Roxanne couldn't help but feel herself shrink every time she accidentally caught John's eye over breakfast. Remy sat between them; obliviously eating away her pancakes. While John, well, he was busy too. Busy eating. Busy acting as if Roxanne wasn't in the room. Busy trying to look busy.

What was wrong with him?

As soon as she told him it was her engagement ring that he found, he just left. He got out of the kitchen and just left her there. Without a word. Without any expression. Without even a simple nod.

Apparently, the heat of the kitchen was too much for him to handle.

And_ this_ is too much for me to handle, Roxanne thought. She took the plate on her lap and placed it on the coffee table.

Remy looked over with a fork in her mouth and asked, "You gonna finish that, mommy?"

"You can have it. I'm not that hungry."

Another plate was placed on the coffee table. It was empty. It was John's.

"Oooh you finished! Good job!" Remy smiled at the man who forced a smile back.

"Listen-" he spoke up. Both sets of eyes were on him immediately. "I have a flight to catch, I should get going now."

"Aw but John, you never told me you were leaving today!" Remy pouted.

"I know, angel, I didn't wanna spoil our time yesterday."

"I understand. When will I see you next?"

There was a long pause.

Remy clutched onto her fork tightly as she waited for John's answer.

"Umm…I-uh…"

"How about tomorrow?" she suggested.

"I have a show tomorrow."

"The day after that?"

"I have a show then too."

"Oh."

"Sweetie," Roxanne interjected. "We'll let you know if John can visit you again, alright?"

"But-but mommy…" the little girl's voice trailed off when she realized there was no other option. She frowned. "Alright."

Roxanne nodded. "I'll walk you out John."

He looked at her with wonder. With apprehension. With qualm. With a look he's ever never given her.

They stood up simultaneously, holding each other's gaze.

"Bye John." Remy smiled up at him.

He broke his stare from Roxanne to smile at her daughter. "Bye, angel."

Roxanne gritted her teeth as she watched John quickly make his way to the front door. He didn't even look back. For those seconds, she was given time to decide if she'd follow. She did say she would walk him out, but he was already out. He was practically off her sights, out of her house.

She looked at the front door and there, he stopped. His hands were clutched onto the knob when he looked back at her. He didn't say a word but she could tell he was wondering if she would follow.

And she did.

"What's wrong?" she asked, as soon as the door was shut behind her.

They were outside now. He was closer to being away.

He shrugged. "Nothing."

"John.."

He let out a sigh. "What do you wanna hear, Roxanne?"

She crossed her arms.

"You didn't want me around your daughter and I get that now."

Her features were suddenly tinged with rage. "You get that _now_? You get that after you spend a whole day with her?"

John flinched at her question and it sent simmering guilt to the marrow of his bones. He saw the hurt in Remy's eyes when he provided nothing but negligence to her question. _When will I see you next?_ Quite frankly, he couldn't bring himself to answer. He was too busy trying to get through today, that he couldn't even look ahead.

"I'm sorry, alright?" he apologized calmly.

"This is why I told you to stay away from her. You'll get her attached then just leave."

John sighed. "I said I was sorry."

"You can break my heart, but don't break hers."

John felt his throat constrict. Air was suddenly unattainable to him and he couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe this. "I break _your_ heart? You're the one that broke mine, Roxanne."

Her eyes hardened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That engagement ring."

"What does that even have to do with anything?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was your engagement not supposed to affect me?

"I'm not even engaged!"

"But you were, weren't you?"

"You and me weren't together anymore."

John rubbed his neck and snorted. "And why was that?"

She said nothing.

"We weren't together because of _you_." He answered for her.

His words were as sharp as his stare and it made Roxanne feel ridiculously small. Like an ant desperately trying to run away from a flood. She immediately went on defensive. "You knew why we couldn't be together."

"Yeah," John gave a brusque nod of his head. "Because you needed to convince yourself that I was in love with you and not my wife."

Roxanne jerked her head back. "You needed that conviction just as much as I did!"

He leaned over her. "I didn't, Roxanne. I didn't give her another chance. I didn't give my marriage another chance. I never looked her way again. You know why? Because I didn't have to. I didn't need to do anything else for me to realize I was in love with _you_."

John watched her expression change as she assimilated the significance of his words. However, it did nothing to suffice him. He was still angry. He's been. He's been hurt for too long now.

"But I stayed with her, Roxanne. And I stayed away from you because you wanted me to. You _needed_ me to. Did you think that was easy for me? Hell no."

"Did you think it was easy for me?" she fired back.

"It wasn't easy for neither of us but damn you, Roxanne, you made it ten times harder. You just left and by the time I tried to find you, you made it impossible for me to ever see you again."

Silence.

"That's right. I came back to your house but you weren't there anymore." John let his words linger before he continued. "And I guess now I know why."

Roxanne lowered her head and sadly gazed into empty space. Then she looked up at him again, her eyes struck with emotion. "I didn't leave to be with somebody else."

"But that's how it ended up to be, right?" The ironies struck him as funny but the laughter he let out was short-lived. "You know, the whole time we were together, you kept doubting us. I had no way to assure you. Then you suggested I let you go and I did, thinking I'd get you back one day."

He paused for emphasis and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I guess I didn't realize you never wanted that day to come."

"That's not-" As soon as her voice cracked, she stopped.

John just shook his head. "I get it, Roxanne. You never wanted to be with me."

Roxanne doubted he realized what a momentous statement that was. What a complete, utter lie that was. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Her eyes were brimming with tears by the time John walked away and got into his car.

She stood there, in disbelief. How could this happen? How could he blame her for being so insecure about his marriage to someone else, during the time they were together? How could he blame her for the events that happened after they parted? She was helpless then, and she was helpless now.

"Mommy?"

Roxanne hurriedly blinked the tears away, using every bit of her strength to defy from her crumbling state. "Yeah, baby?"

"Is everything okay?"

No. Everything was not okay. "Yeah, sweetie. Everything is okay."

Remy stood by the door as if trying to decide if to believe her mom. If she didn't, she didn't show it. "Come watch TV with me then."

Roxanne looked at her barren driveway and took a deep breath. A moment later, she shook her head and was headed back inside.

Who knew a broken heart could manage to keep breaking.

* * *

><p>So John lied.<p>

He didn't really have a flight to catch. He didn't really have a show tomorrow. He did, however, need to get the hell away from Roxanne. It was too hard to look at her. He couldn't take in the fact that she'd been engaged to another man.

How could she? How could she have looked him in the eye, tell him she loved him, then leave and be engaged to someone else?

Sure, the engagement was called off.

But: that meant she'd said yes.

She said yes to another man when she'd been adamant to say no to him.

John shook his head profusely, as he closed his eyes and orchestrated of some way to stay sane. It felt impossible. His world was spiraling away and for the first time in his life, he had no grip. If he thought he'd been suffering a broken heart from being away from Roxanne, he was definitely suffering a dead heart now. It felt like he's been killed but he's been kept alive to feel it over and over again.

He let out a sigh but it did nothing.

"Fuck," John cursed. The frustration was starting to get the best of him. He gritted his teeth as he sat up from the hotel bed.

Alcohol, he thought. Alcohol.

He didn't wait another second before he got up and slammed the door behind him.

"Time to forget," he muttered.

He made his way into the hotel's bar and sat himself to a booth. It was then that he spotted a brunette heading his way.

He smiled.

"Hey hun, it looks like you could use some company." She was holding his gaze, while simultaneously trying to straighten out her mini skirt.

He sat up higher and nodded. "You're right."

She took the empty space beside him and wasted no time to latch her arm around his. "Well, I could take care of that for you."

John let out a small laugh. "I'm sure you could. Lemme order us a few drinks."

She leaned over and whispered, "Alright but not too many. I want you to remember everything I do to you tonight."

John looked at her, his lips forming an even bigger curve. It'd been his mission to forget tonight but from the looks of it, that may be the last thing he wanted.

Or the first.

As soon as John slipped inside the girl later that night, images of Roxanne clouded all thoughts. He couldn't help himself, even through all the alcohol he'd consumed.

He shook his head. No. He needed to forget Roxanne. This seduction of another woman was his attempt to remove her entirely.

Another woman… he was with another woman right now.

And Roxanne was engaged to another man before.

Was that her way of trying to remove John entirely?

Of course. Of course it was. It had to be but why? Was it because she didn't love him? Or because she didn't think that he loved her?

It did take him six months to try and find her again. Six long months. That might've been enough time to convince her that he didn't love her. That he'd reconciled with his wife.

"John?" the voice from underneath him broke his train of thought. She kissed his neck but not a second later, he resumed his thoughts of Roxanne.

She wasn't wearing the engagement ring anymore which obviously meant that it didn't work out. But why? Did Roxanne _want _it to work out? And if not, did her smashed windows have anything to do with it?

Oh God. Her smashed windows. The terrified look on Roxanne and Remy's faces.

How could he have left them alone?

"John."

He realized he drifted off again. "I'm-I'm sorry."

The brunette smiled. "It's okay, I don't mind doing all the work. I just hope you're enjoying this."

John's lips parted as he felt the girl thrust herself onto him even more.

"Mmmmm, John," she moaned.

He struggled to break from her and by the time he realized what was happening, she'd gotten him on his back. She was on top of him now and no matter how marinated his mind was in Roxanne, he knew his inebriated body couldn't quite fight the other woman before him.

* * *

><p>The scream died in Roxanne's throat.<p>

She couldn't believe this. First her car and now her home? Her _home_. Where she lived and where her daughter lived. The windows were smashed, her lamps were tipped over, the couches were ripped apart, drawers were open, but nothing was missing. Nothing.

She should've expected this. She should've been more prepared.

But thank God for school. Otherwise, Remy would've witnessed the destruction herself - the utter chaos that was following them around, even in this new city. They thought they'd gotten away from it all when in fact, there was no escape.

Roxanne struggled to keep her mind and body from combustion as she ran through the thousand and one implications of what was to come.

Did this mean she had to keep running? Or would she have to surrender?

Roxanne dropped her head into her hands, when she realized the answer.

But before anything, she knew she had to make a call. She grabbed her phone and immediately dialed the number.

"Roxanne?"

John's voice immediately swept away all of her fear. She squeezed her eyes shut to let the elation of the moment wash over her. However, that serenity was short-lived when she realized it was now time to explain absolutely _everything. _

* * *

><p><strong>That's right! Next chapter, I'll be taking you guys back in time. Then we'll see how <em>everything<em> affects the present. I want to thank those lovely people who've been consistently reviewing! You're the definition of amazing :D**


	7. The Boss

Everything felt impossible, like a terrible crime scene from someone else's life.

Roxanne was going through loss after loss and if things were to get even worse, she'd explode. The foul January weather matched hers completely as she thumbed through several apartment listings on the newspaper. It was late at night, her house felt lonelier than usual, and to match her heart, the place was awfully cold.

She'd just gotten fired from her job a couple hours ago. Before that, she'd gotten a call from the landowner saying that monthly payments for the house was now doubled. Unfortunately, that meant she had to give the place up. Not to mention, she broke things off with the love of her life just a month ago. But of course, she was desperately trying to forget about that entirely. John Cena was back with his wife and if things went their way, he'd be back with her for good.

The sound of a ringing phone filled the room, causing Roxanne to let out a long sigh. She closed her eyes and waited for the ringing to stop. She couldn't dare take a phone call so she allowed the machine to take over.

"Hi Roxanne, this is Dr. Danielson." His voice held just the faintest trace of regret, and that enough sent Roxanne to a further shattered state. "I got your test results back and I'd like for you to come in tomorrow morning to discuss your options. I've scheduled you for ten o'clock…"

And the rest of what he said was a blur.

When she wondered if things could get any worse, it was rhetorical. Not a fucking challenge, she thought wearingly.

_I'd like for you to come in tomorrow morning to discuss your options…_

Her options? What options did she have for the growing life inside of her? It was either for it to live or for it to die. Oh God. How much loss could one person take?

Roxanne's shoulders held it's tense posture as she stood up from the stool to get a glass of water. She drank with one hand, and rubbed her stomach with the other. At four months, she was barely showing but of course, that didn't stop the complications from coming.

She was sent to the ER just a week ago after blacking out at her home. Thank God her parents found her or she may have never made it to anywhere, ever again.

They say life goes on, but Roxanne was struggling to believe that. Everything stopped since she parted with John, and there seemed to be no way for it to start again.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Roxanne. I was an asshole to you back then but I'm different now."<p>

It's been two years.

He probably is different now, but maybe not in the way I need him to be, Roxanne thought.

"If you don't believe me, at least let me show you."

You probably can, but maybe I don't want you to, she thought.

"Please, Roxanne. Come to dinner with me tomorrow night. You can pick the restaurant, the time, and everything. Just give me a chance."

And she did.

For the months to come, she didn't regret it either.

Dan turned out to be much different, much better than when he was her boss. Sure, their history was a little odd but what wasn't nowadays? It didn't matter to Roxanne. All that mattered was that she was happy and that she forgot about John.

Well, almost. She'd catch herself thinking about him on times she wasn't occupied with her healthy baby and Dan - her loving new boyfriend. Those unoccupied times were so rare, it was enough to convince her she was officially over John. Just as he seemed to be over her. Since she hadn't heard from him at all, she figured it was because things worked out with him and Liz. She hoped things were going well for him, just like they were going well for her.

"You know, I'm really glad I ended up firing you that day," Dan mused. He interlaced his hands with Roxanne as he smiled at her on their couch. The pair had watched movie after movie and now that time wore their eyes out, he resorted to some playful talk.

"You would be glad. You're an asshole."

"Hey, no profanity! There's a baby in the room."

Roxanne laughed. "But the only baby in this room that's awake is yours."

"Which is you," he tapped a finger on the tip of her nose before giving her a kiss. "Which brings me right back to being glad that I fired you."

Roxanne nuzzled her face into the crevice of his neck and said nothing. She smiled contently.

"I mean," Dan continued. "I would've never been able to have this with you. I'd rather be your boyfriend than be your boss."

Roxanne, for some years after that, was given no reason to doubt him. Their relationship continued to progress and by the time her daughter turned four, a flashy ring was around Roxanne's finger. Everything was good. Everything was perfect.

Although…

_Too _perfect. _Too_ good. Too good to be true.

Roxanne was sent home early from work one day, and she decided to venture off for some refreshment. Crepes were always a guilty pleasure of hers and after enduring interminable hours, she figured it'd be a nice treat.

However, she ended up getting more than what she bargained for.

As soon as she pulled up in front of the bakery, she was met by a sight so unbelievable that it took a few good seconds for it to fully formulate. Dan was walking to his car with his arm curled around some woman's waist. He opened the passenger door then kissed her, hungrily, passionately.

The sight was so disgusting, Roxanne felt the vile travel up her throat. Luckily, she managed to get out of the parking lot before any of the spew got the best of her. She drove home in record time, sat herself on the porch, and waited. Waited for Dan to come home. Waited for Dan's explanation, plea, apology.

Suddenly, she acknowledged what her conscious had been dodging for all these years - she was desperate to claim perfection ever since John left, and she's been forcing herself to believe this was it. That Dan was it. Maybe he was. Maybe there was a perfectly good explanation for what she saw at the parking lot. This was her fiancée. He'd stayed around and treated her perfect longer than any man ever did. There had to be an explanation. There just had to be.

But why was she after perfection anyway? Since when was that important?

She pulled away from these thoughts abruptly when a pair of headlights enveloped the driveway. Dan was home.

"Hey baby." He walked up the steps before dropping his lips to kiss her temple. "You're home early today."

She closed her eyes in return and sighed. Her apathy was evident and Dan immediately picked up on it.

"You okay?" he asked, taking a seat on the empty space beside her.

She opened her eyes then looked at him.

He tried to bring his face closer but was stopped when she used her hand as a barricade. He looked at her with confusion and silence.

"I saw you with her," she said ghostly. It came off more calm than she wanted but it served it's purpose.

Dan snapped his head and gazed to the front the yard. He gritted his teeth but still said no words. He was shrinking Roxanne's patience, and she was at the brink of verbally lashing out when he finally spoke up. "What's your point?"

"What's my point?" Roxanne stood up and threw her hands up meanwhile. She looked down at him. "Dan, I'm your fucking fiancée."

He looked up at her calmly and casually. "I know that."

"How could you?" she cried.

When Dan just stared, she continued. She wanted answers. She _needed_ answers.

"How long, Dan? With her and with other girls, for all I know!"

"With other girls, never." He stood up and faced Roxanne. His temperament was still rather calm and it only heightened her fuse. "But with her, it was long before I ever met you."

_Long before I ever met you…_

Long before I ever met you? Long before I ever met you? Roxanne was desperately trying to wrap that around her head but she couldn't. Damn it, she couldn't. It smothered her, suffocated her to all ends, and shattered her to devastating pieces. This was worse than she thought.

Dan let out an easy breath before he continued to tell his story. "Her name's Sandra and I can't be with her, Roxanne. I can never be with her. At least, not officially or publicly. Her family and mine got into a huge altercation back when I was sixteen. I've been in love with her since, but I was stupid back then. I caused a horrific car accident and it nearly killed her."

Aghast, Roxanne felt her knees buckle. She couldn't breath and she couldn't stop trembling. In order to stay upright, she had to lean against the railing for support.

Dan kept going. "She was in a comma for weeks and her parents swore we'd never be together again. They took her away from me and by the time I found her again, she was already married to some one else. I tried getting her back but she can't get a divorce. So…I found you."

_So I found you… _

Roxanne suddenly felt like a lost puppy who'd been spared a few days at the pound. She wasn't prepared for what she saw at the parking lot and she sure as hell wasn't prepared for this. The pieces of information were too startling.

"You found me but you kept her!"

"I can't be with her but I have to have her in some way."

Dan shoved his hands into his pockets before he looked at the front door. "Just forget about her, Roxanne. Let's go inside."

She stopped him before he reached the door. "Damn it, I can't just ignore this!"

"Roxanne please, just pretend-"

"I can't and I won't!" she cried, gripping onto his arm much tighter.

He pried her hands off and his temper snapped. "But you have to! You weren't even supposed to see any of that. No one was!"

"So you want me to just pretend like I never did?" Roxanne cried.

"Yeah. That's how it's supposed to be, Roxanne. Life's easier that way. Sandra and I are gonna stay with different people but we can't just forget about each other either. That has nothing to do with you. Her and I have nothing to do with you so just stay out of it. Forget about it."

"I can't just forget! And you can't do that Dan. You can't have the both of us."

"No Roxanne, you're wrong. You're gonna be my wife and you're gonna forget everything you saw today. Do you hear me? Forget about her."

She clenched her jaw as the angry tears slid down her cheeks. She looked away and crossed her arms, desperate to escape her horrid situation. She realized this was how Liz must've felt when she found out about John's affair. But what made Dan irreconcilably worse was the fact that, even through all this, he still wanted Roxanne to stay. He still wanted Roxanne to be his obedient little doormat. He still wanted to be the boss.

"I mean, did finding all that out make you feel better, Roxanne? It didn't."

"But that was the truth and I deserve the truth, Dan!"

"Well you got the fucking truth! Are you happy now? Huh?" He charged at her, gripping at her shoulders with a glare so sharp, it cut.

She flinched at his words and cried even harder. He was yelling at her! She felt like a child who's been accused of stealing money from her own piggy bank, when in fact, it was really someone else who did the dirty deed. Why was _she_ getting yelled at for this? How could Dan suddenly make this seem like it was _her_ fault?

It wasn't.

So, she left.

And by leaving, she somehow exposed the whole affair to Sandra's husband and family.

Then, Dan went after Roxanne.

For months, Roxanne spent her days migrating from place to place. She went through countless hotels and motels, rented several apartments and town houses; until she finally felt she was free from Dan's wrath.

She'd settled into her new home and for months, things stayed remotely quiet. Remy and her lived through the new place rather peacefully, unlike the first few months.

With Dan's first attack, on the second night she left their house, he'd nearly choked her to death. He'd broken into her motel room in the middle of the night, and Remy's been scared of sleeping ever since. Dan muttered something about the engagement ring but she managed to escape him that night and protectively kept the ring for the sake of security.

She was living the life of a runaway and if ever she needed money, she figured it'd be smart to pawn the damn ring. It was evil anyways.

However, not returning it to Dan may have bargained her safety. She wasn't quite sure. He could've been after her as revenge for causing more chaos for Sandra. He could've been after her because she refused to play the obedient, helpless fiancée. He could've been after her simply because she was Roxanne, and she never had any luck with men. He could've been after her really for anything.

Absolutely anything. And she would never be sure until she got to him, outsmarted him. Unless, of course, he got to her first.

* * *

><p><strong>There my loves, is the long awaited story-telling of the missed five years. It was a run down from before Remy was born up until now. I hope that wasn't hard to follow. Now that I've answered <strong>_**most**_** questions about the past, the question now is, what's John gonna do? Hmm. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! You guys rock (:**


	8. Tell Me

It didn't take long for John to fall in love with Roxanne.

That started five years ago and he realized that, during the time they were apart, he fell deeper in love with her. Hearing the stories of what happened during those five years didn't change a thing. In fact, it only proved that his love for her was ever growing.

He sat there and watched her chest fell back into a steadier rhythm. She'd just finished telling him everything and it was now his turn to respond. They were seated on the couches of his hotel room where Remy and her had met him just a few hours ago. He'd asked them to stay over for the night as soon as he found out their home was ransacked.

He drew his hand to the nape of his neck before he spoke up. "Wow. That's…a lot to take in."

His eyes fell on Remy who was fast as sleep on the bed. The same bed he'd been in the previous night with some random girl. Thank God he asked for the new sheets on time.

"Listen-" Roxanne interjected. John returned his sights on her. "I'm not asking for anything. I came here because I thought you deserved to know what really happened. And despite the fact that I was engaged to someone else, it didn't mean that I stopped loving you, John. I never did."

He assimilated these words carefully and realized they were sincere. Of course she still loved him. He could see it in the way she looked into his eyes. They mirrored his own emotions for her.

"Rox, you can't expect to tell me all that and have me do nothing."

"But there's nothing for you to do. This is my fight and-"

"And I want to protect Remy."

Roxanne closed her parted lips.

"And you."

Roxanne 's eyes drifted off to the bed. She couldn't bargain her daughter's safety any longer which made his offer that much more appealing.

"John I…"

"Go ahead and sleep on the bed with her, I'll stay on the couch."

"But John…"

"No buts, Rox."

"But John…" she couldn't find the words. It seemed as though all have evaporated away with her fears, and although the thought of being around John was tempting, she still wasn't convinced it'd be for the best. Hurt feelings were still brewing in the air and if she wasn't careful, it could blow up in her face.

As she ran through these thoughts, John got up and went to the linen cabinet where he grabbed new sheets for himself.

"Unless you want me on top of you, you should probably go to bed now."

"John!" Roxanne jabbed his arm when he returned, but of course, it felt like nothing to him. "This isn't the time for jokes."

He laughed. "Why not? You never had a problem with it before."

"Maybe but I could be different now."

John shrugged. He threw the blanket on the couch which allowed him to step closer to Roxanne. Much closer. They were only an inch away from skin to skin contact. "You may be different but you're still in love with me."

Her eyes widened. She couldn't believe how quick he used her confession against her. She glared at him.

He just laughed. "Come on, Rox. I'm sure it's been a long day for you."

She bit her lip and flinched when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You should get some sleep." He lowered his eyes so they were leveled with hers. He was too damn close and it shot her heartbeat up the roof. She wondered if he could hear it.

Not wasting another second, she nodded her head and shrugged his hand away. She turned her heel and quickly got in bed. When she allowed her line of vision to fall back on John, she caught him smiling at her.

That schemer. He must think he's all cool.

Roxanne rolled her eyes and flopped herself against the pillows. She had no choice but to sleep in the same room as him tonight, but if she could get her way, Remy and her would be gone by morning.

* * *

><p>Roxanne carefully pried the blankets off her body as she made her way around the hotel room. She peeked over at John and saw that he was still fast asleep.<p>

Perfect. She'd woken up just in time for her plan to take form.

She hurriedly gathered her things before heading to the bathroom for a quick use. When she got out, she tip toed over to the bed where she picked up her sleeping daughter into her arms.

She was headed for the door when a cold arm grabbed her shoulder. She gasped.

"I had a feeling you'd try to leave." John let go of his hold and placed it loosely on his head, his expression blank.

"I um-I just-" Roxanne stuttered.

He shrugged and allowed his hand to fall. "I don't understand why you would though."

"I don't wanna tangle you into this."

John took Remy from Roxanne's arms and settled her back onto the bed. Then he looked up at Roxanne and said, "You're not tangling me into anything."

Roxanne's eyes fell on Remy.

"But at least let me tangle myself so I can protect your daughter. If Dan's managed to find you two again, it's only a matter of time before he-"

"Okay… okay," Roxanne held up her hand. "I don't wanna hear the rest of that sentence. I get it. I understand."

John shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded. "Good."

Roxanne slowly brought her eyes back to John and watched as he made his way casually back to his side of the room. From there he added, "I hope you meant it when you said you understood."

She groaned inwardly. Things in her life always managed to complicate themselves further. John was another perfect specimen.

Having to run from Dan was one thing, but having John back in her life was another thing entirely. How could she manage the two simultaneously? Alone they were already difficult but dealing with them at the same time? Now that would prove to be a challenge.

A challenge she had no choice but to take.

Fortunately for her, John spent the next couple of days proving that there were no further complications. He'd been respectful of her space and pushed her into nothing else. All he wanted was to ensure of her and Remy's safety. Everything and anything else could wait.

"Hey Remy?" John voiced.

"Yeah?" She walked up to him slowly, with both her hands curled around a cup of soda.

"Do you wanna be backstage for tonight's show or in the audience?"

The little girl sipped on her straw as she thought of her answer. Then she said, "Here, backstage. I'd get all squished in the audience because I'm so small."

"Silly, I'm not gonna let that happen to you," John smiled before lifting her up in one swift motion. She started giggling and didn't realize the cap on her cup popped off. It sent trails of liquid to spew onto the cement floor.

Once she noticed, she gasped and put her tiny hands over her mouth. "Ooops!"

John laughed. He set her foot down carefully then took the cup from her. "It's okay, that was my fault."

Remy nodded. "It was."

She watched John bend forward to clean up the mess with a kleenex then asked, "Do you have a crush on my mommy?"

John didn't bother looking at her. He kept cleaning. "Why do you say that?"

She linked her hands behind her back and swayed from side to side. "Dunno. You look at her like she's the prettiest girl in the world."

John stood up straight and smiled. "She is."

"So you do have a crush on her!" Remy raised her pointer finger at him; face filled with benediction.

John's cheeks turned pink. Who knew a five year old could cause such embarrassment to wash over him. Then again, her mother was someone who made him feel things he thought were impossible. This girl was like her in so many ways; she could do anything.

"Don't worry, Jay! I wont tell mommy."

John was only able to give her a wink before Roxanne walked into his locker room with a cup of coffee in hand. She yawned.

"Tired?" John asked.

She nodded while surrendering herself into a second yawn. "I couldn't sleep last night."

"Still worried?"

"Not about Dan, no."

John raised his eyebrows. "Then what?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, I just couldn't put myself to rest."

"Ah. Well, that's still no better."

Roxanne shrugged again. She learned it'd be best to keep conversation between them at a minimal. It was less complicated that way.

John, however, had yet to learn this. He'd been eagerly trying to make small talk with her but made sure not to intrude. So far, their conversations remained under a minute; a little more if Remy was involved. John was more than satisfied. He figured this was better than not seeing or talking to her at all.

"Well…I'm supposed to head down to the ring in a few minutes. You guys can watch the live feed here or go around backstage if you'd like."

Remy smiled. "Sure thing, Jay."

John glanced over at Roxanne, who was busy sipping on her drink, before he exited his locker room. Right when he turned the corner, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look.

"John."

Surprised, he raised his eyebrows.

"You remember me from a few nights ago, right? I kept you company and-"

John grabbed her arm and led her away from his locker room. "Yeah I remember you, but what are you doing here?"

She smiled, placing her hands over his chest. "I thought I could keep you company again tonight."

"I don't really need it tonight. How'd you get in here, anyway?"

She ignored his question and pressed on. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Not then and not ever again."

"Aw, don't be mean, Johnny boy," She stepped closer, bringing her fingers up to gently brush against his face.

He took her hand to move it away from him and right when he did, Roxanne and Remy emerged into his peripheral view. They had just gotten out of his locker room and was now witnessing this whole encounter.

John immediately pulled away from her and kept his tone casual. "Listen, I really don't need your company."

"Are you sure? I really had a good time with you the other night."

John's heart started galloping as he watched Roxanne inch closer and closer towards them. He barely saw her face, but he could tell she was just as uncomfortable as he was. "I'm sure. I gotta head down to the ramp now."

He tried stealing a glance at Roxanne to smile at her, to assure her that whatever she saw meant nothing, but she seemed so quick to turn away. She moved away so fast, he didn't get the chance to see the hurt look in her eyes.

* * *

><p>The ride home that night was awfully quiet. Remy was knocked out on the back seat. Roxanne was looking out the window at what seemed to be the more interesting view. John was busy driving and wondering why he hadn't heard her voice in so long.<p>

She couldn't be mad for seeing him with that girl, could she?

John made his grip tighter around the steering wheel. He turned to Roxanne as soon as he reached a red stop light and asked, "Everything okay?"

She looked at him and curved her lips up slightly. "Yeah."

John was forced to look away after hearing honks from the cars behind them. The light must've turned green. He began driving again, the stoic silence unnerving him. Things stayed that way for minutes and when he couldn't take it anymore, he pulled over.

Roxanne took her eyes away from the window to stare up at John wonderingly. At least he had her attention now. He took a long ragged breath before speaking. "What's bothering you, Roxanne?"

Her eyes hardened, but still held back from saying a word.

"I need to know."

"You actually don't. Frankly, it's none of your business."

John snapped his head and looked straight ahead. He's been struggling to understand where Roxanne and him stood, but he figured it'd be best to keep astray. There were far more important things to worry about at the moment: her daughter and their safety included.

"I really don't wanna be here," Roxanne said. "But I have to be because it's the only way I know how to be safe right now. So please, let's just keep this strictly to that."

John felt a pang in his chest. He couldn't believe how sharply she used her tongue to make an aim at him. Still, all he wanted was to tend to her in whatever way he could. Even if it meant doing the last thing he wanted for himself: letting her go a second time. "Well, if it'll make things better that you don't see me, I'll find some other way to place you in safe hands."

Roxanne crossed her arms and looked out the window.

Confused, John spoke up. "You know, I still don't understand you Roxanne. Your lips tell me one thing, but your eyes tell me another."

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Did I fuck up somehow?" John asked.

"No."

"What's wrong, then?"

Roxanne opened her door and got out of the car, forcing him to do the same. He walked over to her with a weary breath and pleading eyes.

She stumped him with a question. "Why were you flirting with that girl earlier?"

"Wha-"

"I mean, aren't you still married?"

"I am, but I'm not committed to her in any way." As soon as he finished his sentence, he inwardly groaned. It came out wrong.

Roxanne crossed her arms. "Alright, I guess that gives you the right to have your different flavors of the week."

John furrowed his eyebrows but his voice stayed rather calm. "What are you talking about?"

"Never mind," she said dismissively. She couldn't and wouldn't tackle her insecurities with him.

"Is that why you've been so quiet this whole night?"

"I've been quiet every other night, too."

"I'm not asking about the other nights, I'm asking about tonight."

"It doesn't matter. It's none of your business," she repeated.

"If it didn't matter, you wouldn't have asked me about the girl from earlier."

She had no response so they stood silently, holding each other's gaze.

Roxanne pressed her lips together. She was even more beautiful under the glow of the moon. Furious or not. It was then that John gathered enough courage to touch her. He stroked her hair, feeling the soft skin beneath the heap of strands. She didn't move or flinch at all.

"If you don't ever wanna see me again, just tell me right now and I'll work something out for you."

She tightened her crossed arms, making it evident that that was the last thing she wanted. She just couldn't admit it to him, much less herself.

John continued stroking her hair, letting his emotions penetrate through his eyes. She wasn't saying a word, which allowed the crickets to take rein of his ears. Still, he couldn't ignore the heavy beating of his heart that to this day was still beating only for her.

He winced at the words he was about to say, but he knew it was what he had to do. "Tell me what you want and that's exactly what you'll get."

* * *

><p><strong>That's right guys, here comes the ultimatum! Should Roxanne let John fully back into her life or would she be better off dealing without him? <em>You<em> tell me! Gotta thank my wonderful reviewers :D Please excuse this lightweight-late update (what a mouthful). Boo to writer's block!**


	9. Peace Of Mind

Roxanne was a nervous wreck, but it wasn't obvious at first glance.

She'd been sitting by the window sill of her hotel room, watching the rain patter against the glass frame. Tonight was the night. The night she thought would never happen again. The night John and her would spend together and alone. _Alone_. Like a date. Though, she vividly remembered him saying nervously it didn't have to be called a date. With her sweaty palms and the heavy pounding in her chest, her body was reacting otherwise. It obviously was a date. They'd gone out of their way to find a baby-sitter for Remy, after all. Luckily, Eve and Cody offered without hesitation. They figured a five year old would be a refreshing addition to their night with the newborn. A helper, even. For Roxanne, however, nothing felt refreshing or of any help. Her lush bubble bath didn't even do the trick.

How could someone she'd been denying the past few days suddenly make her feel this way? Who was she kidding. It was John Cena. They guy she'd been in love with for over half a decade now.

She stood up and shook her head, running her sweaty palms down the seams of her blazer. She was wearing a black one over a nude form-fitting dress with rosy heels. She might've been over-dressed but knowing John, he probably was too. He always tried too hard every time he took her out, and she figured this night was no exception.

She was in the middle of examining herself in the mirror when a knock came at the door.

"Shit," she cursed. She glanced at the knob nervously, before grabbing her purse. She took one last look at the mirror then opened her door in one full swing.

In front of her was John, dressed in a crisp gray button up and black pants. She nodded her head in approval, "You remembered how I much I loved your sleeves rolled up."

John looked at his elbows and chuckled. He appeared just as nervous, if not more.

Roxanne couldn't believe this, she had to laugh.

John, with his hand tucked behind him, raised his eyebrows. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. This…it's so…oh…I don't know."

"Sudden?"

"Eh…"

"Awkward?"

"Um…"

"Perfect?"

Roxanne smiled. "Perfection is unattainable."

"You know, I thought so too but then I met you."

"Uhh..." Roxanne laughed nervously. Since when did his cheesy lines start to phase her? To cope, she rolled her eyes and casually pushed John back to allow enough space for her to shut the door.

John smiled contently then drew his hand from behind his back. He presented something that looked like a fat lollipop wrapped in plastic. "It's called a cake pop. There's red velvet in there."

Roxanne took the treat from his hand. "You're making me eat dessert first?"

John placed both hands into his pockets and shrugged. He stared at her, and possibly for a second too long because he found his nerves right back to him. Then he began walking her through the hall way, careful to keep a friendly distance. His shoulders were so tense, he epitomized a frozen statue.

"You look beautiful tonight, by the way." He turned towards her awkwardly, stopping to press the button for the elevator.

She stared as the door slid open, then said, "Tonight? Did I not look beautiful the other nights?"

John felt his cheeks flush. Idiot. "No…I didn't mean…I…"

Roxanne laughed as she entered the elevator. She placed a hand around his arm, a simple gesture she'd done numerous times during the time they were together, but it seemed momentous now. John felt it right through his shirt. "Chill, John, I get what you mean."

He flashed a toothless grin. A _nervous_ toothless grin. For a guy who'd been in numerous television segments, he appeared more flustered now than ever. Realizing why wasn't hard at all. He finally had another chance with Roxanne, and he didn't want to fuck up. It was that simple, but he had a lot of pressure.

When she first answered his question of what she wanted, it took him a full minute to allow her words to register. It was so simple yet it packed a punch: _you_. She answered with one word, with three letters, and it meant everything to him. _He _was what she wanted. Of course, that answer was followed up with her reluctance speech and her extensive list of worries and concerns. That's when John formed a smile and was hit with the sudden realization that he had a chance. A chance!

He assured her they'd take it slow.

And that, they certainly did.

* * *

><p>At the end of the night, right as John was ready to drop Roxanne back into her room, he moved towards her with an intimate demeanor for the first time. "I had a really, really good time."<p>

Her eyes twinkled. "Me too. It was nice just talking to you again. Exactly like when we first met."

John stared at her with an involuntary smile across his face. "Well…"

"Well…"

He drew his shaky hand to the back of his nape.

"How about I make this less awkward and much easier?" Roxanne offered.

Before John had the chance to wonder what she meant, he found her lips placed over his in a matter of seconds. His surprise kept him motionless, but once he allocated all thoughts, he deepened the contact. His mouth moved over hers, passionately and hungrily.

He began working his tongue into her mouth until common sense had him pull away, while he was still in one piece. Take it slow, he reminded himself.

Roxanne opened her eyes, alerted by the way her body seemed to protest the end of their kiss. Even though she initiated it herself, the intense heat that it generated was a complete shock. Then again, she should've expected this. John and her had always been good in bed. She began running through the countless times their kisses, like the one they just shared, led to discarded clothing and loss of sleep. She ached so bad to run her hands over his bare shoulders and across his chest again. She'd been brittle and alone for a long time now.

Frustrated, she shook these intrusive thoughts away and stared into the gentle, warm eyes of John. He'd been watching at her patiently, giving her time to recuperate. He asked, "You okay?"

She nodded her head. Take it slow, she reminded herself. And calm down.

John moved forward to wrap both arms around her waist. This hug did nothing for her already racing libido. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into his embrace. Before he pulled away, she felt his lips make contact with her temple, which instantly got her even weaker. Like it always did.

She closed her eyes to regain composure then opened them again. "Good night, John."

"Good night, Roxanne. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Immediately, and desperately, Roxanne took the key card to open the door of her hotel room. There, she spent the rest of the night dithering of their kiss and wishing he hadn't left her alone.

She sat up in frustration and let out a deep sigh. She couldn't believe how much spark ignited in one night. Allowing her head to crash back against the pillows, she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

John, who was literally only a door down, was mentally evaluating their date. He was more than satisfied. Although he longed for her touch, he was proud of the way he stayed a true gentlemen. Right before their split, he vividly remembered her saying they'd jump into their relationship so fast. He'd be damned if he made that mistake again. Not that it was a mistake for him, but it obviously left Roxanne with apprehension. He didn't want that. He was going to take this slowly, steadily, and carefully.

Still, he couldn't deny how pleased he was that she'd taken the initiative to kiss him. Although it made taking things slow a harder challenge, he was satisfied to know she still wanted him just as bad. He sensed her surge of possession and hunger and need and want, on top of her reluctance and loneliness and hurt that seemed to be all tangled up in one.

John smiled up at the ceiling at the thought of them trying to sort things out together. Finally. Together again. He miraculously found a way to slip under her guard, and he was ready to do anything he could to protect her. Even from himself.

A knock echoed through his room, causing him to shuffle lightly. He got up and opened the door, surprised to see who was standing there.

"John?"

"Hey."

"I'm sorry, I thought this was Roxanne's room," Eve apologized.

"It's okay, it's okay," John assured. He lowered his eyes and saw Remy nuzzled protectively against the diva's side. "Everything okay?"

"Well," Eve's voice forced him to look back up. "Remy was scared and couldn't sleep so she asked if she could go back to her mom."

"Your mom might already be asleep. Do you mind sleeping here?" John offered.

Remy rubbed her eyes and answered by walking herself slowly into his room.

"Goodnight you guys," Eve said.

"Goodnight," John closed the door behind them. He knelt beside Remy and placed a hand behind her back. "You okay, angel?"

She had just finished rubbing her eyes when a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, I'm okay."

John furrowed his eyebrows when she began to giggle. "Whatchu laughing for, huh?"

"I tricked Eve into bringing me to your room. I mean, I wasn't really scared, Jay. I haven't been since I met you." She tip toed as if it would prove her claim. "I wanted an excuse to see you, to ask how the date went."

John dropped his head and began to laugh. This little trickster. She surprised him just like her mother had earlier. "Wow Remy."

She grabbed his hand and yanked it towards the bed. So flopped on the soft cotton and looked up at him wonderingly. "So…tell me!"

John placed both hands over his waist and made a face at the little girl that was sitting on his bed. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

She shrugged and brought her hands up. "I dunno and neither my will mommy."

John looked around for a chair and pulled it up for himself to sit on. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Well, what'd you wanna know?"

"Does mommy have a crush on you, too?"

"I think so."

Remy smiled. "I think so too."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! You guys look at each other all googly eyes." Remy titled her head and formed her fingers into a circle over her eyes to demonstrate.

John began to laugh but he stopped immediately when she stumped him with a question.

"Does that mean you're gonna be my dad now?"

Caught off guard, John leaned back and put a hand on his neck.

Remy began swinging her legs that dangled over the bed. "It would be cool if you became my dad!"

"Uh…have you ever…" John struggled with his words. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to hurdle through such a sensitive topic.

"Nope," Remy shook her head abrasively. "I never had a dad. Mom said I'll get one when she finds the right one."

John felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. This little girl was talking as if she had a choice of who her father was. She didn't, but Roxanne was making it seem as if she did. Of course, he'd come to understand Roxanne's reasons for keeping Remy astray from men. Miz and Dan proved to be dangerous for the little girl. But still, John couldn't ignore the nagging question of who was Remy's biological father. Didn't Remy deserve the right to know? Or was ignorance really bliss in this case?

John observed her once more. Looking into her eyes was like looking into a mirror. Was he the father? If he was, he wouldn't know how to react, how to respond, what to do, what to say. Frankly, he wasn't sure if he could handle it.

However, he knew the only way to find out was to ask Roxanne. And he was going to do it sooner than later.

* * *

><p>It'd been a week since their first date and although Roxanne had major reservations, she couldn't deny how happy she was with John.<p>

She'd fallen asleep and woken up with his right arm placed around her shoulders. Looking up and meeting his eyes left her speechless. All she could do was smile sheepishly with twinkles in her eyes. John, who'd been awake and alternating between watching TV and Roxanne, smiled back at her.

The two stared in silence until he leaned down to kiss her.

"Did you have a good nap?"

"Of course." She wrapped her arm around his stomach tightly, relocating her vision to the foot of the bed. "I had a dream and it made me think."

John began brushing her hair that draped over her cheek. "Talk to me about it."

"You were in the delivery room. I couldn't see who was giving birth but it made me think of you as a father."

John began getting the shrinking feeling again.

Roxanne met his eyes and asked, "I'm sure you're a great father."

He shrugged, which in return caused her head to slightly bobble. "I'm no real dad though."

She shook her head in disagreement. Then averted from him again. "The way you love and take care of Logan makes you a real dad, John. The DNA doesn't mean anything if you don't have that."

"Is that why Remy's convinced she doesn't have a dad at all?" The words came out so fast, John had no way to get a hold of them. He closed his eyes, hoping his question hadn't messed anything up.

It took Roxanne awhile to respond. "You could say that."

"So…does that mean no one knows who her biological father is?"

"Whoever he is, it doesn't matter. Who matters is the man who'll play the part."

John grabbed Roxanne's hand and placed it protectively over his chest. He squeezed it. "But you didn't answer my question."

Roxanne squeezed his hand back then she stood up and faced the side of the bed.

He looked at her.

"I don't know who her biological father is, but I have a pretty good idea."

John's heart beat started rising. His previous calculations were going to be confirmed- _had_ to be confirmed. How could she not know? She was sexually active with him during the time Remy was conceived. On top of that, he's felt this instant connection with the little girl. She _had_ to be his daughter. He just hadn't pushed for instant confirmation because he thought it'd be best to take it slow. His life was changing in so many ways, he had to ease down somehow.

John continued to stare at Roxanne. "Well…you're not gonna do anything with that information?"

She shrugged. "I told you, who he is doesn't matter. Besides, I'm not even a hundred percent sure."

John sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He was right in front of her now. "Can you tell me why you're so unsure?"

Roxanne opened her mouth then closed it right away. She realized she'd missed to tell him what had happened that night. The night Remy was conceived. Or the night she _thought_ Remy was conceived.

John began with the questions. "Five years and nine months ago, you were with me."

"Yeah, I was."

"But if you're not a hundred percent sure who the father is, that means…"

"It's not what you think, okay? I didn't go behind your back or anything-"

"Then how-"

"I was drunk," she stated flatly. It explained everything; although, the both of them knew John was still missing details. Details he may not want to hear.

This was enough to cripple him of all words.

Roxanne sighed. She sat beside him on the bed and stared straight ahead. She began to tell the story, with no hint of emotion in her voice. "I didn't tell you because I was already having trouble accepting what happened myself. I still don't know all that happened, but I was told the gist of it. Do you remember the night before Eve's wedding, when you found me drunk in the café? I'd asked you for more drinks but you wouldn't get me any."

"I remember…"

"Miz overhead and decided to buy me drinks himself. That's the last thing I remember and the rest he told me about the next day. Apparently, we did stuff with this blonde chick."

"Are you sure that really happened?"

"Well…I don't know, John. I didn't believe him but I bumped into the girl and she told me the same thing."

"She could be making it up too…"

Roxanne shook her head. "She talked about some of my distinguishing scars."

John was silent. He was hoping, wishing, wanting for her to break into a fit of laughter. He expected her to turn and say this was all a joke. That it was pretend and that he was the father of Remy.

"I don't remember that night at all but I don't have to remember anything to know that Miz didn't use a condom."

"Are you sure he even did anything that could've caused your pregnancy?"

"You never really know with Miz. But there's a chance he could be the father. Just the thought already haunted me. So I never cared to find out the truth."

John shook his head. "He had _one_ chance to get you pregnant, I had so much more. Don't you remember those nights?"

Roxanne allowed herself a few seconds to smile. "Of course I do."

"I could be the father too. Isn't it worth finding out?"

"I'm not sure it'd be a good idea John…"

"It'd give everybody a peace of mind."

"I already have a peace of mind."

John sighed, allowing his hands to rest flatly on his knees. He didn't say anything for awhile. "Well, I don't."

Roxanne looked at him. After a few seconds, he still wasn't looking at her. "We'll take a paternity test first thing tomorrow then."

* * *

><p><strong>So…are you readersreviewers happy campers? Reference to Chapter 19 and 20 of If We Ever Meet Again if you need reminders of the night Roxanne told John about. Who do you guys think is Remy's real dad? Hmmm. Shoutout to my awesome reviewers! **


	10. I Got News For You

Dan punched the mirror, instantly shattering the glass to pieces.

"What do you mean she got away? If her car's still there, where the fuck could she be?"

"I don't know, boss. She could've used another car to get away, used public transportation, got a ride from some one else. The possibilities are-"

Dan abruptly stopped his worker mid-sentence. "Even if she went without her car, she should still be using her credit and debit cards. Look up the time and place for her recent transactions."

"Yes, boss."

Dan brought his heavy mass into another room, where he placed himself into a seat that still smelled of Roxanne. She'd been gone a long time ago, but he'd taken a great deal to preserve her scent. The memories that came with it made his heart hammer against his ribs. He sunk deeper into the seat and thought of the many times she was there with him, on top of him, having sex with him. They've explored each other's bodies countless times in countless places.

They were so in love. They were perfect together.

And now she was gone just because she found out about Sandra? Who did she think she was?

She was supposed to be marry him. She was supposed to be his wife, his lover, his. All his. But she decided to be a brat and run away.

Dan dug his fingers onto the hand rest and smiled. She was going to regret this. He was going to make sure of it sooner than later. He just had to find her first.

* * *

><p>The doctor excused himself, leaving John to sit and ponder.<p>

"Wow."

Two paternity tests in one year. Was this his punishment for committing infidelity?

While he asked himself, he looked over at Roxanne from across the room. She was sitting with one hand on her lap and the other behind Remy's back. He knew she only allowed this for his sake and he loved her all the more for it. She'd always been his soldier.

"Thank you," he said finally.

She looked up at him meekly and winked.

Remy pulled the red lollipop out of her mouth and smacked her lips. "Mommy, am I gonna get a shot?"

"No, sweetie. You're all done. You did a good job."

"Thanks…" she paused in deep thought then asked, "How come you didn't have to do anything, mommy?"

Roxanne smoothened out her daughter's hair. "Because I've already done it."

"Oh...okay. Well…what is the doctor gonna tell us?"

Roxanne opened her mouth to talk then closed it right back. Her daughter was oblivious to reasons behind this recent proceeding but it was just one of those things. Remy was too young. Even John and her were having trouble anticipating the results. Luckily, she didn't have to elaborate; before she got the chance to open her mouth again, the doctor walked in.

"Okay John, you're good to go. The results will come in about three weeks."

John stood up to shake his hand. "Thank you, doctor."

"Thank you too, doctor!" Remy jumped from her seat and offered her hand as well.

"No problem. You be a good girl, okay?"

Remy smiled up at him. "Unless I get caught, I'm always a good girl."

"Remy!" Roxanne covered her mouth.

The little girl giggled then hid herself behind John.

"You sound so surprised she has a sharp tongue like you," John laughed. He grabbed Remy's hand and guided her towards the exit. She was in the middle of swinging her arms when a fan stopped their path.

"John Cena!"

All three looked over and spotted a stricken boy, his face slowly transforming into jubilance.

"Excuse me," John said to the mother and daughter.

Roxanne nodded as she stepped aside to allow the wrestler some time with his fan. She couldn't help but notice the far dazed look in Remy's eyes. "You okay, sweetie?"

She didn't answer.

"Just let John greet his fan."

Remy interlaced her hand with her mother's and looked away from the little boy. "I know, mommy, I know."

* * *

><p>John sat up in bed and groaned. He was never one to pout but it seemed as if it's all he could do. "But the paternity test results should be here today."<p>

Roxanne slipped into a pair of black shorts. "Exactly."

"What do you mean, exactly? Don't you wanna be there as soon as it comes?"

"Not really. I especially don't want Remy to be."

John sighed as he watched her put on a loose nude shirt. It was made of silk and he couldn't help but stare at how nicely it clung off her body. "Fine, fine. Go do your girls shopping day. I'll be here…waiting…frowning…sighing."

Roxanne slung gold hoops into her ears and smiled. "Oh, John. You should try distracting yourself, too."

"That's what I've been doing the last three weeks. I can't anymore. Not today."

"I know but feeling anxious isn't gonna change anything."

John got up and stood beside her. "Trust me-"

Roxanne grabbed her purse then looked at him.

"If I could stop feeling anxious, I would've a long time ago."

"I know John. I'm sorry." She ran her hand from the back of his head then down to his neck. She caressed his spot with her fingers, hoping to relieve the kinks in his body.

Sighing, he took her hand and placed it protectively into his own. "Well, be safe when you shop the streets, alright?"

She smiled, staring deeply into his eyes. After a few seconds, she spoke up. "I will, John. Don't worry. I'ma get Remy from Melina's room now and go."

"Alright. Take care."

She squeezed his hand momentarily before heading towards the door.

John watched her grow into the distance. Once she was gone, he stared up at the clock as another groan escaped his lips. "This is gonna be a long fucking day."

* * *

><p><em>"Can this day get any longer?" Liz whined.<em>

_She was barely dilated, not even enough to get an epidural, but she could've sworn she'd been in labor for at least a day. Of course, that was an exaggerated claim. Things always felt slow whenever her husband wasn't around._

_Luckily, she didn't have to wait much longer before he finally appeared in sight. Even exhausted, he looked cute._

_"John!"_

_"Hey, I took the soonest flight I could. How are you feeling?"_

_She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Horrible. These contractions are killing me."_

_John needed no further evidence as he felt her grip continue to tighten. He could've sworn her nails would cut through his skin, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to desperately intercept the pain she was feeling. His poor wife. His poor wife who was carrying his child. His child that would be born any hour now._

_After all that he'd lost, Roxanne being all, he was about to be given the ultimate reward. This new life he'd help create would make his life worth it again. It'd even make his failed marriage worth it again._

_"You'll be alright, Liz. Our baby's on the way."_

_His wife responded with a piercing yelp._

_John cringed from the high octave she let out. His mind went haywire and reminders of his coming baby was momentarily lost. In those seconds, he found himself thinking of Roxanne. This was nothing new but these random flashes always hit him in the strangest of places. He felt ache like physical pain in his heart. She'd been gone so life would presumably feel dead._

_John was snapped out of these thoughts as his wife clung her other hand onto him. She squeezed and squeezed, forcing him right back into reality._

_His baby was coming, he reminded himself. __His own baby would bring life to him again._

* * *

><p>"Hi daddy!"<p>

John's face automatically formed a smile after hearing Logan's voice. Even through the phone, he sounded refreshing. It was definitely a sound for sore ears. And sore hearts. "Hi buddy. How's it been over there?"

"Alright. Mom's been busy. When you gonna come visit?"

"Ah…" John scratched his head for an answer. "Soon. Soon."

"Okay…"

John noticed the trace of sorrow in his voice. "Listen…I really don't know when I'll have time to go home-" Mainly because I'd rather not see your mother. "But if you want, you can go on the road with me for a couple days."

"Really, dad?" Logan's tone instantly transformed into excitement.

"If your mother will let you."

"Ugh."

John laughed at the little boy's groan. "Ask and if she has a problem, tell her to call and I'll convince her myself."

"Kay dad. I can't wait to see you! It'd be so cool so see all the wrestlers too."

John chuckled. "It'd be even cooler to see you. Be good, alright?"

"Yes. Bye dad!"

"Bye kiddo."

John hung up the phone then chewed the inside of his cheek. He'd been avoiding the manila envelope placed on his desk for the past thirty minutes, but he couldn't distract himself any more. There was no point in waiting for Roxanne since she'd adamantly denied wanting the results.

Not waiting another second, John opened the envelope and pulled out it's contents. His eyes danced around the piece of paper, looking for it's conclusion.

And there he saw it.

John Cena is excluded as the biological father of Remy Evans.

It was written in fine print and no matter how many times he blinked, the fact never changed. It would never change. Roxanne's daughter would never be his own. Just like Logan would never be his true blood. Except, this new discovery came as a harder blow. Liz having another man's child was easier to accept, but Roxanne?

Roxanne had a child with Mike? Mike the Miz? John couldn't believe someone as beautiful as Remy could be made by him. Lucky for the little girl, she inherited practically everything from her mother. Everything but her blue eyes.

John crumpled the piece of paper into his hands. His throat constricted with emotion; every inkling of hope he had was crushed.

"Damn."

He formed the paper into a tight ball, not wasting time to discard it into the trash. He slouched into his seat, weighed down by the sadness he felt inside.

Minutes passed. An hour passed. Then another one.

John was in and out of sleep for so long, he failed to realize Roxanne and Remy had made it back inside. He was startled by the sound of bags being moved around.

"Hey, you're awake," Roxanne smiled.

John cleared his throat and sat up. His eyes panned the room, noticing the shopping bags sprawled on the floor and Remy fast asleep on the bed. All he could say was, "Yeah."

"We found a lot of bargains," Roxanne informed.

John forced himself to sound conversational. "That's…good."

Roxanne moved towards him in a controlled manner and sighed. She couldn't ignore the tension in John's voice, the tension in John's shoulders, and definitely not the tension coiled up in his eyes. He didn't need to say anything to let her know. She knew. She knew the moment she walked into the room. It's just that…she didn't quite know how to react. He must be devastated to lengths she would never understand.

"John…"

"Please Roxanne, don't."

Her eyes struggled as she watched him rise from his seat. He looked at her with devastation before moving right past her. She closed her eyes. Her heart had dropped.

"John…"

Before she got the chance to fully turn around, he was already out the door.

* * *

><p>"I got news for you, boss."<p>

Dan swiveled his chair to get a clearer view of the speaker. "What?"

"My son came back from my ex-wife's place. He actually ended up at the hospital for most of his break."

"And you think I care?" Dan asked.

"Yeah-"

Dan sighed. "Ambitious son of a bitch. I don't have time for your family stories, alright? Get back to work and-"

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn't get a hold of Roxanne's recent transactions but I found something else out."

This was surely testing Dan's patience. "What?"

"My son told me he saw his favorite wrestler there."

"What the hell does that have to do with Roxanne?"

"Because my son saw him with his old classmate, Remy. You know, Roxanne's daughter."

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for this late and choppy update. Life got in the way. Let's hope Dan doesn't, in their case. Haha. Like always, I wanna thank you guys for the reviews! Don't forget to leave one for this chapter. I could use the motivation. <strong>


	11. Dan's Surprise

**Warning: Some sexual content ahead! Perfect timing since John just posted a nearly naked pic? LOL. Enjoy everyone :)**

Roxanne's hand touched her phone at least ten times since John had left the room. Not once did she muster enough courage to actually dial his number. It was obvious the man needed time and there was no way she'd allow herself to get in the way of that. Even if it meant keeping herself in suspense.

For the last hour, she'd moved herself from the chair, to the bed, then to the chair again. Now she was getting ready for some shut eye but a hasty knock came at the door. It made her freeze. In those seconds, she mentally ran through the implications. What if it was Dan? What if he'd found her again? What would she do?

Before she sorted for answers, another knock filled the room. This one was much louder which sent her heart beat up the roof.

On instinct, Roxanne took her phone and cupped it into her hand. If it was really Dan out there, she wouldn't hesitate calling John. She walked towards the door and eyed the peephole. Suddenly, all the muscles in her body went lax. She wouldn't have to call John; after all, he was right there.

She opened the door, greeting him with her still stricken face. She realized her expression wasn't much different from his. "Why'd you have to knock?"

John shrugged. "I'd feel like an intruder if I just barged in on you guys."

Roxanne didn't like his response one bit. "But this is your room too."

"But this isn't my family."

Roxanne held his eyes in silence then sighed. "John…why do you have to put yourself down like this? Those results shouldn't change anything."

"But it does, Roxanne. Being a real father means a lot to me."

Silence ensued.

"How would you feel if you found out Remy was switched at birth and you weren't her real mother?"

"I'd still love her."

"Okay," John chewed on this for a second. "Your feelings about her may not change but wouldn't your feelings about yourself change?" He didn't allow her even a chance to respond. "I guess this is what I get for having two women at the same time."

Guilt was the cornerstone of all relationships. Roxanne had no idea how to respond; the last thing she wanted was further burden his thoughts.

John sighed and walked into the room silently. His arms were crossed by the time he held himself up against the wall.

Roxanne closed the door behind her then walked up to him. "Don't let the past stop you from being a father figure."

"I know, Rox…I'm just…sad."

"I understand."

The both of them stared at each other in silence for a few more seconds. It was only broken when John decided to reach for her. "Come here."

Far from hesitation, Roxanne pulled herself into his arms and melted. It was obvious they have been on pins and needles all day. It was even more obvious they should've endured it together. The positive change in their postures made it evident.

They got lost in the next few minutes; the whole world seemed to disappear. Then, the two of them heard a voice that belonged to neither of them.

"Mommy…?"

Under the dim lights in the entry way, John slightly released Roxanne to get a view of Remy. Her tiny fingers were gripped around the fabric of the pillow case. She was too short to keep it from touching the floor.

"Hey sweetie," Roxanne smiled.

Remy rubbed her eye with her free hand. "I had a nightmare. Can you and dad go back to bed with me?"

John nearly lost his breath. _Dad_. He couldn't believe she just called him _dad_. Maybe she didn't have a nightmare. Maybe she was sleep talking. Maybe she was in the middle of a dream. Maybe _he_ was in the middle of a dream. Lost in these implications, John was snapped back into reality when Roxanne gripped his arm.

"Let's go to bed?" she asked warmly.

He exchanged glances between the mother and daughter before forming a full grin. "I'd love to."

Remy took the lead and climbed under the comfort of the white satin sheets. She positioned herself in the middle, forcing the both of them to take either side of her.

All three snuggled in contentment. No words could even describe the warm feeling that washed over them, nor the fifty wings that fluttered in their tummies. They didn't even notice the awkward empty bed on the other side of the room.

"Good night mommy and daddy."

"Good night," they answered in unison.

* * *

><p>"Got the tickets?"<p>

"Nope. I got something even better."

Dan raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

His worker nodded with a smile. "Yeah. We don't needa bother with the show. My uncle works at the hotel they're staying at and he could find their room."

"Their room?"

"Their room."

Delighted, Dan clasped his hands together. "Make sure everything we need is packed and ready. We have a few surprises in store."

The worker watched his boss strut across the office then mentioned, "By the way, expect that wrestler John Cena to be around. Our timing has to be immaculate."

Dan smiled. "Don't worry. I have surprises for him, too."

* * *

><p>"Surprise!"<p>

John diverted his attention from the stack of photos in front of him to the voice that lingered from the entry way of his hotel room. He smiled when Roxanne appeared in sight with a bag of Five Guys burgers.

Despite the sumptuous meal that laid before him, he noticed something far more important. "Where's Remy?"

Roxanne walked over and settled the bag right beside the signed stack. "She's with Melina for tonight."

John's eye twinkled. "Oh so…I guess the food isn't your only surprise?"

Roxanne raised her eyebrows. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know what he meant.

He stood up from his chair, causing her to step back involuntarily. He laughed when he noticed her look away from the compelling force in his eyes. "You alright, Rox?"

She returned her eyes to him. "Mm-hmm."

He stepped even closer, then brought his fingers to trace along the silk of hair that draped over the side of her face. "Relax."

Roxanne did the complete opposite. It was impossible to tame her heart beat when he was standing so close. She wanted to tell him to move but it would've destroyed the moment. It would've destroyed what she really wanted. Which was for him to step even closer. His thumb mesmerizingly traced the curve of her jaw. Her lips began to part.

John lowered his hands to clasp hers. "We're alone."

"I know." I also know my muscles are starting to liquefy and my whole body is tingling with life. Of course, Roxanne couldn't imagine how it would've been if she'd said those thoughts out loud. Soon enough, John proved she wouldn't have to. He already knew.

"We're alone," he repeated like there was an underlying message in his statement.

"John." Roxanne placed her hand to his chest, keeping her voice light and disentangled to regain balance. But he was moving even closer. She said his name again. Only this time, no sound came out.

"I know you had a problem with us moving too fast before but this is us, Rox."

"I think…" But she couldn't think. Not after his mouth fit itself to hers. Their kisses were always like this, always so magical, but never did it fail to surprise her. Each and every time felt like their first time. Vivid. So full of life. Her head fell back. He cupped it, shifting her to change the angle of the kiss. She shuddered when his fingertips brushed over her back.

He pulled back only to guide her onto the bed.

She followed with hesitation, as well as need and arousal.

John took note of her rapid breath and tried his best to calm them. He stretched her arms out to the side, linked his fingers with hers.

They kissed once more before he pulled away to give attention to her breasts. His lips brushed over them, his tongue dampening her shirt. Even through the fabric, he could tell her nipples were aroused and impatiently demanding more attention. He released her hand in order to pull her dress up until there was nothing between him and her flesh. He then tugged off his own clothes then wasted no time getting back to her.

His tongue slid over her nipple, causing her throat to constrict from palpitations. He caught her peak between his teeth, making her moan his name. Her body began to arch and throb; a heavy ache filled her center. He pleased and caressed and kneaded. Her eyes were closed but she opened them again to see the man at work. He was so relentless. He anticipated her every carnal wish even before she knew of them herself. Surrender had come gliding through her, leaving her vulnerable. Whatever he wanted, she would give. She would do anything just as long as he never stopped touching her.

She closed her eyes again, pressing her hands against his shoulders. He took this as a cue to trail his lips down to her navel, then down to her bare hip. She shuddered when three of his fingers slipped into her. She erupted. Her body shook, her lips called out his name, even as the staggering pleasure shot through her system. She was wrapped around him but even with his hold, she felt everything drain away from her. She screamed, straining beneath him, craving the torture.

With his heart hammering in his ears, John pulled away and kissed her with intensity, causing her whole body to shoot up like a rocket. He was determined to give her everything, all of him, every bit of him. He wanted her to absorb all the pleasure he would lay on her. With a murmur of approval, he parted her legs further and slipped back into her. Only this time, it wasn't with his fingers.

She dug her nails into the naked flesh of his back, clutching onto him for balance. She moved under him with passion and need and want.

Their eyes were glazed with pleasure as they continued to stare. Their hearts were ready to burst. Their fingers locked again as each thrust rocked them, pushed them closer. There was obvious need but with no rush to sate it. Their rhythm was patient, loving, and true as ever. Then it grew fast and furious. John's vision clouded before he buried his face in her hair. His body kept at work, matching the frenzy move of her hips. They climbed together steadily, beautifully, until his gasps echoed hers.

Her breath was caught in gasps as he collapsed onto her, gulping in air as she trembled beneath his frame from the aftershocks.

No words were said. Everything that happened tonight had already spoken for them.

* * *

><p>"…from Melina's room."<p>

The rumble inches away from Roxanne's ear dragged her from a sleepy haze. "What?"

John's bare shoulders filled her view as she opened her eyes. The rest of his body followed.

"Remy," he said, brushing the hair from her face. "She just called and said pick her up from Melina's room."

Roxanne shifted under him, fully glad that it was his face she'd waken up to. It was even more familiar than the one she'd see in the mirror every morning.

"And I have a meeting in ten minutes," he added sullenly. "I hate to leave you after such an amazing night."

She draped her hand over his shoulder and bit her lip in agreement.

Not knowing what else to do, he kissed her lips with a surge of passion. It elicited a sense of possession exactly like from last night. It was then that Roxanne realized just how damp and limp her body was.

"We better get dressed then," she murmured.

It wasn't what he wanted but it was what he had to do. In silence, he moved away from her and collected his clothes. In the middle of putting them on, a question bestowed him. "Too fast?"

Roxanne had just finished slipping into her dress when she began shaking her head. If he was asking about them jumping back in bed, that was no problem. Every qualm and form of hesitation she had prior was washed away. Besides, their past was impossible to forget, no matter which way they tried to wipe it clean. They knew each other's bodies too well. The hidden places to tease and touch and taste. The feelings that never went away. It was all embedded in their minds, just as much as they were embedded in each other's hearts.

John continued putting on his clothes. Once finished, he walked with Roxanne towards the door. It was one of those awkward moments when knowing how to leave felt impossible. They figured it'd be best to keep it disentangled.

"I'll see you later," Roxanne said.

"Can't wait." John kissed her lips.

They opened the door and walked opposite directions.

John was almost to the elevator when he thought Roxanne had followed. A rustling from behind forced him to turn but when he looked, there was no one. He settled his sights back to the elevator and it was then when he realized two men coming towards them.

One looked familiar.

Too familiar.

He felt an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach; one that he'd felt before. Then it clicked. John naturally narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist at the recognition of him. He'd seen that same smirk on the first night they'd ever met in front of Roxanne's house.

Dan.

* * *

><p>Roxanne was too busy fusing with the key card to notice the rumbling sounds from the other side of the hall. However, fresh from sleep, Remy was able to pick up on it rather quick.<p>

"Mommy! Mommy! Did you hear that?"

Roxanne tugged the door open. She was forced to stop when a loud thud echoed and a familiar bellow followed. On instinct, she started towards the noise and her worst nightmares were confirmed.

Dan and John stood before her.

Dan had a moment to see her get close, his expression opening up as if he were surprised to see her. Then, he was forced to duck when John came plowing at him. All the fury that'd been building since Roxanne had told him what happened to her was coming towards Dan at a hundredfold. John charged at his torso, momentarily lifting him off the floor then crashing him back into the hotel floor. It all but shook.

Dan's hands went up for defense but it only allowed John to give a hard blow to his jaw. Dan got shoved deeper into the ground, and the next time anyone had view of his face, there was a gash beneath his left eye. John hit him again, whipping his head sideways and back.

"Daddy! Stop it!" Remy cried. She didn't want him to stop for Dan; she wanted to him to stop because she was scared he'd get in trouble. Her cries were so alarming, it snapped John out of his fury. He released his hold, allowing the growing crowd a view of the blood spewing from Dan's mouth.

John brushed himself off and tugged on his shirt stained with blood. He taunted the man below him. "Expect more of that if you ever come close to Roxanne and Remy again."

John shuffled through the crowd, followed closely by the mother and daughter. Once inside the hotel room, John sat on the bed and tried to collect himself.

"You okay?" Roxanne asked.

John firmly placed a hand over his mouth. He sighed through his fingers and nodded. "Just give me a minute."

Roxanne and Remy sat on the opposing bed and faced him in silence.

John slumped his head then looked up at them. "I told you I was gonna protect you two."

Meanwhile, Dan had just gotten to his feet. He was helped by several of the by standers and even with the dripping blood on his face, he assured them he'd be alright. He let himself, and his worker, into an elevator alone. Once inside, a smile appeared through the swelling on his face.

Despite his distorted appearance, he knew his plan was taking form immaculately.

First surprise, check.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhh! What the hell is going on? Dan is a straight up creep. Speaking of creep, I hope my first try at minor sexual content was just right and not too much. Review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks for those who did the last chapter :D<strong>


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